Dead Reckoning
by Genevieve Kelly
Summary: An old enemy makes his way to Storybrooke seeking restitution that can only be gained upon Captain Hook's death. Emma and the rest of the heroes fight to protect Killian, when the unexpected happens. Meanwhile, Henry and Violet both deal with a decision that could break them up. And Rumple struggles with his own demons while he's trying to be the man Belle and Gideon deserves.
1. Chapter 1

Dead Reckoning

Chapter One

Months before the Queen's dark curse was cast…

Mr. Smee and the rest of the pirate crew who had been living in Neverland for more than two hundred years along with Pan, the Lost Boys, Indian Braves, mermaids, and fairies, among other magical and non-magical creatures alike, were busy while they finished packing their goods, their belongings, and their treasures aboard the Jolly Roger as they prepared to leave the island for the last time. These pirates had few belongings that were rightly theirs, as most of what they carried onboard was all stolen goods from their journeys outside of the realm while on missions for ruler of Neverland. Fortunately, the demon child as the ship's Captain preferred to call Pan, didn't care about what they took, so long as they took nothing of real value to him.

As Hook stood on the shore while watching his men as they rowed out to the Jolly Roger with the last load of goods for their journey back to the Enchanted Forest, Pan appeared behind him and before the boy could speak, without turning around Hook spoke up first saying, "It's about time you appeared. I was beginning to wonder if you might have thought you could renege on our deal. And if you've come here to ask for my assistance doing any more of your dirty work, you can forget it."

Peter Pan smiled when the Captain turned to face him, then he responded, "A deal is a deal and you've finally earned your reward, Hook. A chance to fulfill your revenge you've sought against the Dark One after all this time and it only took you a couple of centuries to do it."

"That's because you've refused to grant me passage off of this cursed island," the pirate Captain retorted curtly. "You've also failed to help me discover how to kill the Dark One as you said you would help me to do when I first arrived back in Neverland all those years ago, yet you couldn't even do that. So, don't talk to me of earning some reward you think you're handing me out of the goodness of a heart which you don't possess. I have fulfilled the ends of both our deals. Now, how do we fly out of here without an infernal magic bean?"

"My shadow will help you leave Neverland and stay with you until you reach the Enchanted Forest," Peter answered as the dark entity flew into the opening from behind its host and flew out to the Jolly Roger, then embedded itself into the ship's largest white sail so that she would fly as she did with the pegasus sail Killian and Liam had used to get them to this dreadful realm in the first place long ago. "Do you really believe you can discover the secret to the Dark One's weakness without my help?"

Hook glared at the boy as Pan moved around to stand beside him, then he replied, "I will have my revenge, but I will get it without your tricks and your bloody games any longer. As it turns out, I happened to have found a good lead the last time you sent me out on one of your errands. I know where to find someone who for some reason might be close to the monster."

Pan nodded and then responded, "I'm impressed. Well… I suppose all the luck to you then, Captain. I don't have much confidence you'll succeed in your foolish endeavor, seeing as who it is you're trying to kill, but I will say that you've got more shrewdness and determination to accomplish something than I've ever met in a person before. Goodbye. I hope to never see you again."

"Believe me, the feeling is mutual," the Captain said to himself when Pan vanished and left him alone to wait for his first mate to row back to the shore to pick him up.

Present day, Storybrooke…

"You see, Sister," Grumpy stated crossly as he, Emma, and Killian all entered the Rabbit Hole where a fight had broken out between some of Killian's old pirate crew, a few of the dwarfs, as well as several more of the bar's patrons. "I told you we were going to need both of you here to stop this mess. I walked out of the room to make a quick phone call to Doc just to see where the hell he was, and when I came back inside, everyone was fighting. Including the rest of us dwarfs and you know how much Bashful hates to fight. How are we going to stop this?"

Killian looked around the room while he pulled out the service weapon which David had turned over to him when he retired and Killian became the new sheriff alongside his wife, then he answered, "It appears your old friend, the Dragon Sorceress's daughter is up to her mischief again, Swan."

Emma sighed in frustration and replied, "Yeah, I got that. We're going to have to go talk to Lily when we leave here. Maleficent too. I warned her, if she's going to teach Lily how to hone her powers like Regina did for me, she's going to have to watch her and keep her from causing this kind of trouble. But Lily thinks using her powers to start a bar fight is a funny way to help her train and now she's not even here anymore to enjoy it."

"I used to think it was funny to watch a fight break out at times too, back when I was a still a villain," the Savior's husband responded and then fired three shots from his gun up into the air in hope of gaining some of the patrons' attentions to slow them down a bit, though it didn't do them any good to do so. "I'll take care of my men and help Grumpy here with the other dwarfs. Do you think you can handle the rest of them, love?"

"Yeah… I've got it," she answered, then watched Killian step away with their friend to work on their end, while she raised her hands and concentrated her powers to try to counteract the spell she knew her childhood friend had cast over everyone in the room.

Only a minute passed, when all of a sudden, a bright white light emitted from Emma's hands and flooded the entire room as the magic washed over everyone just as Smee struck his Captain hard with a heavy punch to his jaw. However, as soon the as the light faded and he realized what he had just done upon seeing Killian fall back against the wall behind him once the spell was broken, he immediately rushed over to help him stand tall again.

He offered Killian his hand as he stuttered nervously, "For… forgive me, Captain. I'm not… not sure what came over me. It's like…"

Killian interrupted him saying, "It's like it was magic? Just relax, Mr. Smee. No harm done. What happened here wasn't your fault, nor anyone else's either. At least not anyone's in this room."

"Are you okay?" Emma quickly asked as she raced over to Killian, having seen his oldest friend strike him before she could stop the fighting.

"Aye, Swan," her husband replied as he raised his hand to his face and flexed his jaw to make sure it still functioned properly, not expecting it wouldn't. "Trust me, I've been hit much harder than that before. Many times in fact. Not many people liked pirates, as you know. Least of all me."

Smee then questioned again, "What did happen then, Captain?"

Killian looked over at his former first mate while he responded, "Like I've told you a number of times, Mr. Smee… I'm no longer your Captain. I've released you from my services the moment it was decided that we were staying here in Storybrooke once the Charmings' and Zelena's curse was broken way back when. Call me Hook, or even Killian if you like. But you don't have to call me Captain out of any kind of respect."

"It's because I respect you that I still call you Captain, Sir," William answered his friend honestly, while Emma just smiled. "I may not have been too happy about staying here in Storybrooke when you first told us we would no longer be the pirates we were before all of this happened, but I've long since grown to appreciate your decision. Even if some of the other men haven't. Frozen yogurt is still the best thing I've ever eaten."

"I appreciate that," Hook replied in gratitude. "As for what happened here and now, it was a small spell gone awry. That's all. But Emma's fixed it. Feel free to go back to whatever the hell it was you were doing before the riot."

Smee looked down at the cards and money now scattered on the floor around the table he had been sitting at before the fight broke out, then he looked back over at Killian as he responded, "Actually, I was losing pretty terribly like usual. I think I'm going to call it a night before the rest of the men I was playing against get their bearings back and remember that I owe them several more doubloons than I can actually afford to pay them. Good night, Sir."

As the bigger man turned to leave the bar, Killian uttered, "Night, Mr. Smee."

"Dopey, Happy, Sleepy, Sneezy, and Bashful are all fine," Grumpy then said once he finally got the rest of the dwarfs back under control again. "You saved the day again, Emma."

"I'd hardly call breaking up a bar fight saving the day," the Savior answered, then she reached out to take her husband's hand and leaned her head against his shoulder.

She looked into Killian's eyes as she continued, "What do you say… we head home for the night and enjoy a quiet night at home? We can make waffles for dinner."

Knowing exactly what his wife really meant, he smiled at her, then replied, "Sounds perfect to me, love."


	2. Chapter 2

Dead Reckoning

Chapter Two

"So, how exactly are we going to convince Lily to find somewhere else to practice her magic where people won't be effected by her dark side?" Killian asked his wife while Emma drove towards Granny's Bed and Breakfast on their way home so they could talk with the two sorceresses. "Maleficent might not be a villain any longer, at least not an acting villain, but surely she'll see our talk as nothing more than a way to stunt her daughter's progress. And Lily…"

"Lily will take it personally and God only knows how she's going to react," she finished for him. "She's been moody and upset about something lately. Last week, she got so mad at Dopey just for accidentally running into her and then being unable to speak his apology. Had I not been there to pull her out of the room, she probably would have killed him. She won't speak to me about what's bothering her. She always used to when we were kids. Although that was before I abandoned her and she learned about what my parents did to her and her mother."

Killian laid his hook on her arm as if to comfort her a little when he sensed she was still felling ashamed about being the Savior because of what her parents had done, while Lily had become the opposite, then he said, "Don't do that to yourself, love. You've made things right for both Lily and her mother. Perhaps whatever it is she's so angry about has something to do with being unable to find her father. Or perhaps it's because she feels trapped here."

Emma looked over at him in surprise and then answered, "Killian, you're a genius. How could I have been so blind? Lily did ask me some time ago to see if I could help her locate her father. I told her I'd try and yet after everything that happened next, with me becoming the Dark One, Camelot, and then you die… dying. I completely forgot about it. And as for her feeling like she's trapped here, that's probably true too. I would suggest that they go on a long vacation somewhere out among the world, but Maleficent still can't leave town without dying again herself. Surely Lily doesn't want to hurt her mother's feelings by telling her she wants to leave for awhile. Unfortunately, I don't have a suggestion to help her with that. Nor do I know where I can even begin trying to find her father, especially since Maleficent did her thing while she and the father were in dragon form and she doesn't have any idea who he is. It's worse than trying to find someone who skipped bail."

"Well, if anyone can do it, it'll be you," he replied and leaned over to kiss her cheek. "If you need my help, you know that I'll be here."

"You're right, I do know you'll always be here for me," she responded with a smile and then leaned over to kiss him as they pulled up outside of the bed and breakfast. "All right, we have to finish our job. We can do more of that later."

Killian smiled as he answered, "I'm grateful that Henry's been staying over at his other mother's since we've been married, rather than at home with us."

They both got out of the yellow bug as his wife replied smugly, "That's because he knows better than to stick around. We're early into our honeymoon phase. And like my parents' never did, I hope ours never ends."

"Nor I," he stated, then together the two sheriffs walked inside and made their way to Lily's room first.

Meanwhile…

Henry was sitting on the couch within the living room at his and Regina's appearing to be doing some homework after they ate a late dinner. However, Regina knew something was wrong with her teenage son when she noticed that he kept drifting off into his thoughts. Finally, she set down her book she was reading so she could talk to him about it.

"Henry, what's wrong?" the Queen asked quietly. "And don't tell me nothing, because you keep getting lost in your thoughts and I doubt you've gotten a lot of your homework done at all."

The seventeen year old laid down his textbook and notebook, then looked over at his adopted mother as he responded, "It's Violet. She's been acting strange for two days now. Kind of sad. I've tried going up to her to ask her what's bothering her, but she's avoiding me. She'll either turn and walk the other way when she sees me coming, or she clams up and tries to act like nothing's wrong. I'm beginning to worry that we're drifting apart. What if… What if she doesn't like me the same way that she used to anymore? Or what if she's even found someone else she likes more than me? What do I do, Mom?"

Regina leaned forward in her chair and reached out her hand to lay it down on her son's knee, the she answered, "First of all, don't automatically think the worst. Violet can't possibly think of you any less, especially since now you give her all your free time you never really used to have when you were busy helping us fight against all the villains who rose up before the final battle was won. Second, she couldn't possibly think there's a better guy than you anywhere in town. You're one of a kind."

"You only say all that because you're my mother," he retorted in frustration.

"Maybe so, but it doesn't mean that it's not true," she replied in seriousness. "The next time Violet turns and runs, or whatever else you might be thinking, go after her and keep on encouraging her to speak up. Just so long as you don't scare her away by badgering her. She'll tell you what's wrong eventually, I'm sure of it. You have to be patient. Now is that all that's troubling you?"

Her son smiled and nodded, then he responded, "Yeah, that's all. Thanks. I'd better finish up my homework now. Most of it's due tomorrow and I'm a little behind. I can't use the excuse of fighting monsters anymore, you know."

Regina was about to say something more, when the doorbell rang. She stood up and walked into the foyer to open up the front door and when she did, she was surprised to see the sixteen year old girl her son was just talking about, but she quickly smiled, then called out to Henry still sitting in the living room.

He came jogging into the hallway as his mother did so, he was also surprised to see his girlfriend too as she whispered bashfully, "Hello, Henry. I hope you don't mind that I stopped by tonight. I'm sorry, Regina. I know it's getting late, but I was hoping we could talk. Henry and me, I mean?"

"Of course you can," the Queen answered and then started to head towards the kitchen to give the two teenagers some space. "But Henry… don't forget to finish your homework later before you go to bed. You said it yourself, you don't have any more legitimate excuses to not get it all done."

"I won't forget," he replied. "Thanks, Mom."


	3. Chapter 3

Dead Reckoning

Chapter Three

Once Regina left the room, Violet turned back to Henry and spoke up again saying, "I'm sorry for interrupting you from finishing our school work. But I was hoping we can talk, so that I can try to explain why I've been avoiding you, which I honestly didn't mean to do by the way. I just didn't know how to tell you. I've been struggling with it myself."

Henry guided her into the living room and sat on the couch beside her, then he replied, "I was hoping you would. You can tell me whatever it is, Violet. If this is about us, and about how you might want to begin seeing someone else…"

"Oh… no, Henry," she responded before he could continue. "There isn't anyone else here I like more than I like you. You were the first one to make me feel welcome here in this strange new world when we first came over from Camelot. And while we were there, you cared about me and we danced to music that I had never heard before. It was amazing. And much better than anything we ever had there. I like you, Henry. I could never think anyone else that goes to our school, or otherwise, is sweeter than you."

"Okay, so what's bothering you then?" he asked her with concern.

Violet gave a long sigh and then she finally answered, "It's my father. He wants to move back to his old home, in Connecticut. I told him I didn't want to leave, but he seems adamant about it."

Henry shook his head while he struggled to understand, then replied, "I thought he was okay with staying here in Storybrooke. I mean, he didn't want to return to Camelot when everyone else went through the doorway Zelena opened to send them all home because he never felt he belonged there. I thought he was happier here and you're happy here. Aren't you?"

"Of course I am, Henry," the sixteen year old responded. "I told you I didn't want to leave. And my father does like it here, but I think it's because there's still magic here in this land that's really bothering him. He told me that he misses how things were back when he lived out there, in the country where there is no magic and no dangers he had to worry about other than what normal people worry about. Whatever that really means. I don't really know. I think he just worries that he'll lose me to magic, like he lost my mother."

"But the dangers are in the past now," he answered again, feeling more confused than before. "My mom fought the final battle and she won. The Black Fairy is gone and there are no more villains. Our town is perfectly safe again. It's a little boring to be honest, but it's still our home."

Violet groaned in frustration and stood up, then she turned back around to look down at him as she replied, "No, it's your home. My home was Camelot. And you don't know that the Black Fairy is the last villain who will ever come here to try to destroy us. I'm not saying I agree with my father's decision to leave Storybrooke, but I do understand why he feels the way he does. It isn't definite that we are leaving just yet. I just hope that you'll be able to understand why we have to if the time comes. I think maybe this was a mistake, at least to come here tonight. I shouldn't have told you until we knew for sure. I'm going to go now."

As soon as she turned to leave the house, Henry immediately stood up and grabbed her arm to stop her, then he responded, "Please wait… Don't go. I'm sorry, Violet. I didn't mean to sound so inconsiderate. You're right. Just because the final battle is over, it doesn't mean there aren't more villains out there. I just don't want to see you go. I'd miss you."

"Why do you think it was so hard for me to talk to you about this?" she asked him with a smile on her face and then leaned in to kiss him. "I would miss you too, Henry. I would miss our friends, school… especially your grandmother's class, and I would even miss magic too. It can be so beautiful."

"It certainly can be," he answered as he walked her to the door, then called out to his mother to tell her that he was going to walk Violet home before they began to walk down the driveway. "Look, tomorrow Killian's taking me out on the Jolly Roger. Not only has he been showing me how to sail and to navigate using maps and the stars over the years, but lately I've been introducing him little by little to more of our world's technology and entertainment like movies and the few games he's actually able to play with one hand. Oh, and he's also been training me in swordfighting. Grandpa's been showing me as well, but Killian's more fun. Don't tell my grandfather I said that. I know you might find all that boring, but… How would you like to come with us?"

She nodded and then replied, "I'd love to. That all sounds like fun. It's not often that I've been out on the ocean on a ship. In fact, I don't think I've ever really been. Are you sure he would be all right with me tagging along tomorrow?"

Henry smiled as he responded, "He'd love it. How about you and your father meet us and Mom at Granny's for breakfast in the morning and then we can go from there? Is eight o'clock too early for you?"

"Eight o'clock sounds perfect," Violet answered. "I have to make sure that my father's okay with me going out with you, but I'm sure he'll be fine with it. After all, you go out with Hook all the time. I can't imagine my father would think that sailing with a man who used to be a pirate would be all that dangerous."

"I guess it's good your father never knew Hook before when he was a pirate," the seventeen year old replied when they arrived outside of the apartment building where Violet lived with her father, Sir Morgan. "I mean, if he did he might not trust Killian to take good care of you. Things were different years ago when Killian first came here to Storybrooke, like I've told you. Not many people believed Killian could be anything more than a pirate, for a really long time, except for my mom. But he proved everyone wrong. I'm just really glad you and your father has gotten to know us all now and not before."

She leaned over again to kiss his cheek and responded, "Me too. Good night, Henry. I'll see you in the morning."

When his girlfriend started to walk inside, he smiled again as he answered quietly, "See you in the morning. Good night, Violet."


	4. Chapter 4

Dead Reckoning

Chapter Four

The next morning…

Emma and Killian awoke to the sunlight coming through the curtains hanging down over the windows as the sun rose slowly, then leisurely got themselves ready for the day ahead as they showered, changed, and Killian buckled his brace onto his arm and shoulder. The Captain of the Jolly Roger then packed a bag for his day out on the ocean with his stepson with whom he had spoken to the night before, and his girlfriend, including two extra swords with which he could continue Henry's fencing lessons and offer one to Violet should she wish to join in.

It was nearly seven-thirty when they walked into Granny's and found that they weren't the only ones eating breakfast that early. Snow and David were already there with Neal and so were Archie, Marco, and August. The newlywed couple came inside, then sat down in a booth across from their parents, while Archie moved away from the bar as Granny brought out his breakfast, then he joined the table where his oldest friend and his son sat near the Charming family. Regina, Henry, Violet, and Sir Morgan had yet to arrive.

"Emma, Killian… we're so glad you're here," Snow exclaimed excitedly as they sat down. "You've been talking about redecorating your home because everything that's in there now wasn't actually picked out by the both of you and last night, I had some great ideas. So, I thought we could look through some catalogues together that might help to inspire you and then after breakfast, we can all go shopping."

"Actually, Killian's taking Henry and Violet out on the Jolly Roger for the day while I'm at work," the Savior responded as Granny walked over with a pot of coffee in one hand, as well as a tray of mugs and a couple of hot chocolates with cinnamon for those who asked for some in the other, then carefully set it all down among her friends. "I also have to go over to speak with Lily about the trouble she's been causing down at the Rabbit Hole. Killian and I went over to the bed and breakfast to talk to her last night, but she wasn't home and neither was Maleficent."

Before they continued with their conversation, Granny took everyone's food orders, then Emma spoke up again saying, "Besides, Mom… Killian and I were hoping to be able to figure out what we wanted to do with our house alone. It's nothing against you. It's just that, after all we've been through with fighting against the darkness and the fact that we have kind of a prison and a large boulder that once held a sword for centuries in the middle of our basement because of my decisions while I was the Dark One, I felt it was something we needed to do on our own. As a way to try to help us to erase these memories a little. It's about time we did. I hope you understand."

Snow reached across the table and took her daughter's and her son-in-law's hands, then she replied, "Of course I understand. It's good that you're doing this."

"How long are you going to be out on the ocean for?" David then asked as he turned to Killian. "Just so we know when to expect you and Henry for dinner tonight?"

"No later than six o'clock," he answered after he took a sip of the coffee his wife had poured for him. "You wouldn't want to join us, would you, mate?"

Charming shook his head while he replied, "I'd like to, but I'll be busy out on our farm. I am a farmer again after all."

Killian nodded as he stated, "Ah yes. Of course. Speaking of farming, did you still need a hand with some of the work over the next few days? I may be one-handed, but there are some things I can still do to help you out."

"That'd be great," Charming answered and patted Hook's shoulder. "Thank you."

"Would any of the rest of you like to join us out on the Jolly Roger today?" the pirate Captain asked as he turned to look around the room, while Gold and Belle then entered the diner with their son in his mother's arms.

August nodded and then responded, "I'd like that, but it'll have to be another day. I can't today because Papa and I have a few projects we're busy with in the garage."

Marco continued, "If I could get over my fear of the ocean, I'd be happy to take you up on your offer, Captain. It was very kind of you."

"If you ever wish to rid yourself of said fear, I'd be privileged to help you do so any time," Killian replied sincerely. "You need only to ask."

"Thank you," the woodcarver answered quietly as he reached out to shake his friend's hand. "Perhaps I might join you and my son when he decides go out with you."

While Granny walked back out of her kitchen with their food in her hand and began to serve it to them with everyone's help, Mr. Gold walked over to the booth when his wife took a seat at the table beside Archie, then he looked around the room at everyone until his eyes stopped on Killian as he asked, "Please forgive my intrusion. Captain… might I have a word with you?"

Killian glanced apprehensively at his wife, then he turned back to the shopkeeper and left the booth to follow Gold over to the bar where they could talk more privately. The man who still carried the darkness within him wasn't unaware of his oldest enemy's uneasiness and he didn't blame him for it.

He finally spoke saying, "I realize things have still been strange and reasonably strained between you and I since everything's changed… since the final battle was won. Believe me, it hasn't gone unnoticed by me either. I don't know if we could ever be more than the enemies we've always been, but Belle has been helping me to become a better man, especially as of late by showing me what I can do to…"

"I've heard you've been trying to make amends to those you've wronged and hurt over the years," Hook responded before Gold could finish. "It's commendable to be sure. I believe that you truly are trying to change. I myself have tried to do the same in order to get to where I am after all I've done, yet you're the one person I never could come to. Our history is unlike anyone else's. You owe me nothing, I assure you."

"Actually, I believe I owe you more than anyone else, for all of the pain I've caused for you since our dark rivalry began," the Dark One replied honestly, looking down at his hands he was resting on the countertop in front of him. "I know we won't become friends as you are with everyone else in this town with one act of kindness or overnight. It will take time. I simply ask that you remain open to the possibility, so long as we both continue to be the men our wives deserve. And to start my amends to you, I'd like to offer you your hand back without a price attached, or any kind of curse cast over it… that is if you would like it returned to you?"

Killian looked down at his hook in frustration while he answered grimly, "I have let go of my hate for you, Gold. At least on most days. I've even learned to let go of what you did to Milah and you taking my hand centuries ago. I stole her away from you and Baelfire in the first place. A cruel act I can't ever make up for. Our hate for one another never would have started were it not for me. Her death and the loss of my hand is as much my fault as it is yours. But, I'm not ready to accept anything from you to help make up for the rest, for how you used my desire for my hand… It later allowed you to rip out my heart so you could use me as your puppet, then eventually tried to crush it."

 _Before Killian finished, he thought back a brief conversation shared between him and the Dark One while down in the Underworld minutes after Emma had saved him from Hades' dungeon as he remembered turning to face Gold despite the pain from the cruel God's torture and saying angrily, "_ _I hear you took away my sacrifice. Everything I did to save my friends all went to give you back your power. I should kill you."_

 _"Acknowledged," the villain uttered simply without showing Killian any kind of remorse for his actions._

 _"But… you helped get me out of there, so I should say…" the Captain responded more calmly in order to acknowledge some form of gratitude to his enemy for helping Emma to find him._

 _However, Mr. Gold interrupted him smugly, "Thank you. No need."_

 _Hook then stated crossly, "Stay of execution. We're even… for now."_

 _"I just wanted to get home, the Dark One replied after he glared at the pirate in silence for several seconds. "And yes, you're welcome, Captain."_

"Nor have I forgiven you for taking away the one chance we had to destroy the darkness that's still inside of you now," Killian continued more softly, sensing everyone's eyes on them despite their efforts to ignore the conversation between them. "I've come to realize that my hate for you all these years have somewhat been misplaced, in the moments I felt the darkness consuming me as it destroyed every part of me that was good, every part of me that made me human. You see, it was really the darkness I despised and I realized then what it must have done to you too. However, I tried to destroy that darkness from this world once and for all, to save us all so that no one would ever suffer because of it again. But your greed and your lust for power made my sacrifice mean nothing because it still lives. I want to believe you won't ever become the monster I made you again, but it's only been a few weeks since the final battle, since you've chosen to fight for the good of the heroes. It's taken me a long time to change and I still haven't forgiven myself for all I've done while I was a villain either. Until you prove yourself worthy of everyone's forgiveness… until I'm able to forgive you as well as myself for those things, I can't accept anything from you. So please, save yourself the trouble and allow things to remain as they are, or allow time to help us fix the things of the past. I'm sorry."

When Killian finally finished saying his piece, he turned to Granny, who was staring between the two men while concern lined her face after she had walked out of her kitchen again a few minutes ago with another tray of food in her hands. Before the old woman could object, he awkwardly took the tray from her in an effort to help her, then brought it over to the booth and set it down on the table before everyone. Killian saw the worry for him in his wife's eyes while she looked up into his as he did so, but he couldn't hold the gaze between them any longer out of shame for allowing himself to create a scene in front of everyone and immediately turned away when Emma tried to reach out to touch his cheek. However, he couldn't just walk out without her following after him to find out what was wrong.

Killian finally leaned down next to Emma as he tenderly kissed her cheek, then he whispered, "Forgive me, love. I assure you, I'm alright. But I'm afraid I've lost my appetite. If you would, let the lad and Violet know I'm out preparing our ship. She'll be ready to set sail once they arrive. I promise, I'll see you later tonight at your parents'. I love you."

Killian was gone without another word before Emma could stop him from leaving or could even try to figure out what just happened and Belle looked up at her own husband as he slowly walked back over to the table, took a seat in the chair beside her, then she asked, "What was that all about? Is everything all right between you two?"

"I'm afraid making any amends to the man I've hurt the most isn't going to be nearly as easy, just as I expected it wouldn't be," Rumple answered sternly.

"Exactly how was it you tried to make amends to him?" the Savior asked him crossly.

The Dark One ignored her tone as he looked over at Emma and responded, "I'm afraid was a bit insensitive. I offered him his hand that I took from him without there being a price attached to it. I failed to think that it would only dredge up his memory from when I had done so some time ago upon his request, then used his simple to desire to be able to hold you with both hands on your first date against him."

Emma shook her head, then replied, "He'll be able to forgive you in time, Gold. Killian just needs to be able to see you mean what you say."

"Believe me, I understand," he said quietly.

"You've come a long way," Archie answered sincerely. "You should be proud."

Gold looked at the psychiatrist, then he turned back to his wife and smiled while he responded, "I have Belle to thank for that. Belle and my son. Love is more powerful than I've allowed myself to acknowledge since I became the Dark One centuries ago. If only I could have truly recognized it back when Baelfire was still alive."

Belle took her husband's hand in her own, then she replied, "He knew there was still love in your heart, Rumple."

"I hope so," he uttered.

"Hope is a really good first step," Snow answered their old enemy whom they could all see he truly appeared to be sincere.


	5. Chapter 5

Dead Reckoning

Chapter Five

Not long after Killian left, Henry walked into the diner along with Regina, Violet, and her father. The four of them took a seat in the next closest booth to the rest of their family and friends, then quickly ordered their breakfasts when Granny brought out a couple more cocoas with cinnamon for the teenagers, as well as some coffee for their Queen and former knight of Camelot. The older woman certainly knew what everyone liked and they would all be lost without her always being there to feed them when they wanted to come together in a large gathering like they were doing now and did almost every day.

Henry turned towards Emma and when he didn't see his stepfather sitting with her or anywhere else in the room, with concern he asked, "Mom… where's Killian? I thought he was going to meet us here?"

Emma glanced over at Gold, but quickly turned back to her son as she answered, "He's already on the Jolly Roger getting her ready. He asked me to tell you to come whenever you and Violet are ready. But eat your breakfast first. You guys are going to be gone all day."

"I was going to," the teenager retorted and then turned back to chat with Violet while they continued to wait for their own food.

"I was hoping for the chance to thank Hook for taking my daughter out on his ship today," Sir Morgan said when he turned around to look between Emma and everyone else in the room while the two youngest talked amongst each other.

The Savior smiled as she responded, "There's no thanks necessary. Killian is perfectly happy to take them both out on the waters. He loves any chance he can get to go out. But if you would like to tag along with us when we're done here, I was going to walk with Henry and Violet down to the harbor to meet with him before they leave. You can thank him then if you would like to."

The sixteen year old's father nodded and then he sincerely replied, "Thank you. I would like that. Uh… Emma, Regina, could I have a moment to talk with you both… in private I mean?"

"Is everything all right?" Regina then asked once the three of them stepped away from the rest of their family to talk while they sat at the bar with their backs to everyone.

"Yes… well sort of," Morgan answered nervously while he glanced back at his daughter when he heard her laugh at something Henry said, then smiled upon seeing her so happy. "What I mean to say is that, I've been thinking long and hard about moving with Violet back to my old home, down in Connecticut. I've long since missed it after I believed I would remain trapped in Camelot once I found myself in that world. And then we were brought here to Storybrooke by another kind of magic. Don't get me wrong, I do love it here. This town is beautiful, but it reminds me a little of home. I thought that I could be happy here, especially knowing that she has Henry in her life now, and a good school with good teachers such as Snow."

Regina nodded in understanding, having heard about the man's concerns already after speaking with Henry last night when he returned from walking Violet home, while Emma responded, "But you're also afraid that magic could come through here again at any moment and sweep us all away or split us apart? We do understand, Sir Morgan. You simply want to do what's best for both Violet and yourself. And Connecticut will definitely be much safer since there is no magic there, at least none that we know about, because it's a part of the land without magic. Have you already spoken to Violet about this? Has she spoken to Henry?"

The Queen quickly replied, "She talked with Henry about it last night."

"Believe me, I don't wish to take Violet away from all that she loves here, but magic is a big part of this town and while it's beautiful, it's also dangerous," the young girl's father continued sadly. "I've already lost my wife, Violet's mother, because of magic. I cannot lose Violet too. I could never bear it. You're right… I do just want to do what's best for her and for myself."

"You really don't have to explain yourself to us," Regina answered sincerely. "All of us here, we're from this world, as well as another where magic is a part of us. Including Henry. We will never be able to run away from it or deny who we are, but you and Violet can even though she was born in Camelot. I don't mean the denying who you are bit, but…"

Emma cut in as she added, "If you do decide to leave, we certainly wish you and Violet all the luck and happiness we can hope for you. Just promise us that you'll give us enough time to plan a big celebration to show you how much you'll be missed around here. As for Henry, he will miss Violet a lot, but he'll be alright. And so will Violet. She loves you very much and we all know she wants you to be just as happy as she is."

He smiled and then responded, "Thank you both. For helping me work through this conflict, as well as for your understanding and friendship. It's been an honor to have had the chance to get to know all of you, especially your son. He's a fine young man and would make a brave knight one day, should he choose to be such."

"Oh God, I hope not," Regina retorted, then laughed as did Emma and Sir Morgan while they finally walked back over to join with the rest of their family and friends.

Later, after everyone finished eating and left the diner to go their separate ways, Gold told his wife that he was going to head over to his shop to get some work done, and encouraged Belle to take Gideon home where they lived together once again now that they were no longer separated. She nodded and leaned in to kiss him, then walked away as the Dark One then headed in the opposite direction towards the pawnshop.

"If you really think you can make it up to that despicable pirate for the things we've done, then you're an even bigger fool than I thought you were," Rumplestiltskin cruelly mocked when the evil vision of himself, or devil over his shoulder as Gold had called him, from within the tormented part of Gold's mind suddenly appeared to him once again as soon as Gold walked inside. "The question is, why even bother trying? Hook certainly isn't worth the trouble and aggravation. He's done nothing, but try to kill you and mock you for over two hundred years. Do you really just want to forget about all the pain he's caused you because your beautiful wife believes you to be a better man than me?"

"Just go away," Rumple replied curtly as he walked around the being before him even though he wasn't really there and walked towards the counter to get to work on more cataloging in search of the valuables he could return to whom they truly belonged to, per Belle's prompting and encouragement. "You have no power over me any longer. I denied you down in the caves after I killed my own mother to help the heroes in the final battle."

Rumplestiltskin sneered and then he answered, "Yes… that's true. And yet I am still here because a part of you still needs me, still yearns for the power and the darkness that makes us whole. If you really wanted to be rid of me, you would look for another way to rid yourself of said darkness once and for all. If you really wanted to be the man you are pretending to be now for the sake of your wife and son, then you would have allowed Captain Hook to destroy us back when he took the chance. Yet you took away his sacrifice because then you didn't allow sentiment and love stand in your way of getting back at the pirate for all the pain he's caused you too. You can get there again. You can still have your love and your power, Mr. Gold. That name really doesn't do you justice."

Gold glared at his other self as he responded, "And Rumplestiltskin does? That was the name my father gave to me because he couldn't stand the sight of me."

"Then prove to him it's a name that stands for power now," the ghost retorted. "What do you say?"

"What do I say…?" Rumple replied, staring at the dark being still in front of him.


	6. Chapter 6

Dead Reckoning

Chapter Six

When Emma, Morgan, and their teenagers arrived at the docks, Henry and Violet ran ahead as the seventeen year old called out to Hook saying, "Ahoy! Permission to come aboard the Jolly Roger!"

Everyone raised their heads in surprise as they looked up to the top of the ship's main mast upon hearing Killian call down to them while he replied, "Permission granted! Henry… you know what to do! I'll be right down."

"How does he even climb up there?" Violet asked about the pirate Captain when Henry rushed onboard ahead of them and got to work with the duties Killian taught him how to do some time back, while Killian finished undoing the ropes binding the sail to let it open from above them.

"Years and years of practice," Emma answered as she watched her husband work and then swing down to the lower deck holding onto one of the ropes from the riggings. "He makes it look easy, but I know it's not. It's like riding a bike for him though."

Violet looked over at the Savior with confusion on her face as she responded, "Henry has taught me how to ride a bicycle, but I don't understand how your husband climbing and swinging from a ship's mast is anything like riding a bike."

Morgan turned his head to glance over at Emma and smiled as she did, then he replied, "What Emma said is just an expression people use here in this world. It means something is easy to them and it's a skill that's never forgotten. If you ride a bike long enough, then you don't tend to forget how to."

"Hello again, love," Killian whispered into his wife's ear as he came over to stand beside her, then wrapped his left arm around her lower back. "I'm sorry about earlier. Would it be all right if we wait until this evening to talk about it?"

"Of course," she answered and then kissed him, as Violet and Sir Morgan walked over to join the newlyweds.

Violet's father then stated, "It's a beautiful day for sailing. I want to thank you, Captain Hook. For being willing to take my daughter out on your ship today. She's been looking forward to it since Henry asked her to join him."

Killian reached out to shake the knight's hand when he extended it to him and sincerely responded, "The pleasure is mine. I promise you, I will take good care of her, as I try to care for Henry."

"I know you will," Sir Morgan replied.

"Be safe out there," Emma said to Killian while she reached up to caress his cheek once Morgan walked away after waving to his daughter by way of saying goodbye. "But have fun. I wish I could join you too, but I need to try to figure out how to deal with Lily. How to help her and if I go out with you, I'll only be distracted. I love you."

He leaned in to kiss her again and then answered, "And I you, Swan. I'll see you tonight."

A few hours later, Killian, Henry, and Violet all had their swords drawn as the ship's Captain parried with Henry so that his stepson could impress the girl of his affections with his sword fighting skills thanks to both Hook and David. And while it worked, Killian didn't shy away from trying to embarrass Henry a little either out of fun by swiping his blade from the boy's hands, or even knocking him down on his butt against the deck when Violet began to clap and cheer for him. Henry glared up at his stepfather after he had done so, but then laughed with Killian when the pirate reached out his hook to help him back up.

Killian spoke up once Henry was back on his feet saying, "I'm sorry about that, lad. But you had it coming. You let your guard down when you became distracted by a woman's applause. Should this have been a real fight, you can't allow yourself to become distracted by anything, or you will lose."

"Believe me, I know," the teenager responded glumly. "You never tire of showing that point."

"We may jest about it, Henry… but I hope you understand the importance of the lesson," his stepfather replied more sternly than before. "You never know what might lie in store for us all. All of what your grandfather and I have taught you is important. Especially now that you're well on your way to being a man."

The seventeen year old was about to say something more until Violet called out to them as she nervously asked, "Killian… what is that?"

They both ran over to the side of the ship where Violet stood while she pointed towards what appeared to be a ship far in the distance behind the Jolly Roger as it headed for them, then Henry quickly added, "Are you expecting some old friends from your pirating days?"

"Henry, call your mother," Killian answered crossly after he looked towards the oncoming ship through his spyglass, then ran up to the upper deck and spun the wheel in order to turn his ship around towards the direction of Storybrooke, which they could no longer see after they had sailed well out into the middle of the ocean. "Either one will do! We're going to need their help!"

"I can't call them!" he shouted back in frustration as he pulled out his cell phone to look at its screen. "We're too far away from land. There's no reception all the way out here!"

Killian cursed under his breath because of the technology that usually gave him more trouble than help until all of a sudden, the ship behind them opened fire as a cannon ball soon struck the waters on their starboard side, then the Captain swiftly turned the wheel once again and curtly responded, "Fine. Then you and Violet are going to have to take a rowboat back to shore. You can make it. I'll stay onboard and draw their fire."

Violet looked between both of them with worry as Henry then rushed towards the upper deck as well and climbed the stairs as he replied angrily, "You can't do that?! You'll be killed before I can even get back, let alone run to get help!"

"We don't have a choice here, Henry," Killian answered more gently while he turned his head to look down at his boy who hadn't climbed the last step to walk towards him yet, until another blast fired and struck the ocean on the opposite side than before because Killian was now turning the Jolly Roger in a zig zag like motion to make them a more difficult target to hit. "I have to keep them focused on their target, keep them busy long enough so that you both can make your way to safety. And you need to tell Emma, as well as the others, that trouble is coming. I don't know who these pirates are, or if they're even pirates at all. Nor do I know why they've come, but everyone we love have to be warned should that ship's Captain want to attack Storybrooke next. You and Violet have to stay safe! I would never forgive myself if either of you were killed because of me."

"You said it yourself… you don't know who they are or why they're here," the teenager retorted sternly as he finally made his way over to his stepfather's side until Killian grabbed Henry's arm more tightly than he intended to do, then quickly pulled him down to the lower deck towards where the lifeboats were tied to the ship's side, using his hook to guide Violet along with them as well.

Violet climbed in willingly while Henry continued to fight against his friend until he finally gave in out of defeat and then Killian stated quietly, "The odds that they just so happened to find their way here to a land protected by magic and unknown to both the outside world and all magical realms alike… They're firing on us without cause, Henry. They're most likely pirates whom I've crossed in my dark past and whom I might have wronged. At the very least, your mothers and Violet's father would never forgive me if you were both killed while in my care. I promised them I would look after you. Which is exactly what I'm doing."

At last, Killian pulled his cutlass and swiftly cut through the ropes keeping the boat in place, dropping it into the waters below as another cannonball fell near them even closer than before, then he looked into the boy's eyes as he continued, "Don't worry about me, lad. I'll be fine. I'm a hell of a Captain. Now go! Now!"

Without hesitation, Killian ran back up to the wheel and spun it again to turn the ship to its side so that it would block the other ship's view of the two teenagers now rowing towards their town in the distance. Another cannonball fired again and this time it struck one of the Jolly Roger's masts as it came crashing down, then tumbled to its side into the ocean. Unfortunately, the mast struck one of the others and caused the second mast to crack. It was only a matter of minutes, maybe seconds before it too would crack further and collapse. And from its angle, Killian knew it wouldn't fall outward like the other, but onto and through the deck.

Meanwhile…

The dwarfs and Anton were sitting out on the beach while they ate lunch together on what had begun as a beautiful day, while still unaware of the danger out on the ocean before them. They all had been working hard earlier that day as they had begun to plant new crops which would eventually become a field of magic beans as they had done once before years earlier until Regina destroyed them all when she still gave into the evil side of herself. But now the Black Fairy has been defeated and the final battle was over, making the heroes victorious over the villains as their stories all should be.

"Does anyone else hear that?" Grumpy then asked his brothers while he slowly rose to his feet and looked out over the ocean before them upon hearing a booming sound far in the distance where he couldn't see, interrupting the conversation still going on behind him.

"It sounds like gunfire, but much louder and heavier than what gunfire usually sounds like," the town's only giant responded as he also got up and moved to stand beside his friend, followed closely by the rest of the dwarfs. "Not that I've really been around gunfire all that often, if ever actually."

Leroy quickly turned to look over at one of the others as he said curtly, "Sleepy, quickly go get Emma and anyone else with her. Hopefully David and Snow will be there too. Tell them that there's some kind of trouble out on the ocean. Happy… you'd better go with him so that he doesn't fall asleep on the way back into town. Hurry!"

The two dwarfs quickly ran off while those who remained behind turned back towards the sound of danger before them. As they listened and continued to search for any signs of what was happening, it wasn't long before they heard other noises of people shouting at them from far off shore until finally they saw a small boat rowing towards them carrying both Henry and Violet, who was waving at their friends wildly to try to get their attentions while Henry continued to row the boat as fast as he was able.

When the two children, who weren't really children any longer, were close enough, Henry turned his upper body around as he called out to their friends saying, "Go get Mom! We need help! Hook needs help!"

"We already sent Happy and Sleepy," Doc replied as they neared enough to the shore to allow him and the others to run into the water as far as they could go to meet them and help to pull them back in.

"What's going on?" Grumpy asked worryingly while Henry jumped out to help them pull Violet and the boat in. "Was that gunfire?"

Before Henry could speak again, Dopey suddenly pointed wildly out in the distance, then grabbed Leroy's arm to get him and everyone to look, then Bashful answered, "No… it's cannon fire."

Everyone finally saw the Jolly Roger, as well as another ship looming up from behind fast, and they could all barely make out the sight of the damage that had already been done. Another cannon suddenly fired towards the Jolly Roger, which luckily missed once more, but they knew that Hook was in real danger. Henry quickly pulled out his cell phone to call his mom now that there was reception again, then told her to come down to the beach as quickly as possible.

Inside the sheriff's station…

After they said goodbye to their loved ones for the day, Emma and Sir Morgan walked back into town again where they split up as Emma headed into work. When lunch time came around, Snow and David arrived at the station with Neal, as well as bags of food that Snow had prepared for all of them, rather than ordering again from Granny's. The Savior was grateful for the distraction, since all she was busy working on for well over an hour now was paperwork.

Emma had begun to explain she had finally gotten a hold of Lily and spoke with her earlier that morning about the anti-Savior's behavior and avoidance, when she received an unexpected call from her son. The call only lasted a few seconds before Emma stood up in a frenzy as David asked her what was wrong. She told her parents that she didn't have time to explain, then immediately reached out to grab them by their arms and poofed them out of the station.

When they found themselves on the beach, neither one of her parents had to ask their daughter again what was wrong, while they all saw the Jolly Roger out on the ocean taking on cannon fire when yet another ball struck the front end of the ship after sailing through the largest sail attached to the main mast as it suddenly caught fire. Henry raced up to his mother where she stood when she spotted him standing with Violet and pulled him in her arms in relief that he was alright.

She looked around for Killian until her son quickly explained, "Killian's still onboard his ship. He told me and Violet to leave him as we took one of the boats so he could draw the other ship's fire, to protect us."

"He really did that?" Sir Morgan asked with surprise as he, Regina, and the two dwarfs suddenly appeared as well and raced down to join the others, then the knight pulled his daughter close as she ran into his arms.

"Who the hell is attacking him?" Regina asked sternly.

Emma pulled away from Henry and started towards the waters as she responded, "I don't care who. I have to help him."

Snow cried out, "Emma… wait!"

David reached out to grab Emma's arm and pulled her back out of instinct to want to protect his daughter when two more cannonballs were fired from both ships against the other, as they both hit their targets. Everyone watched in horror as the Jolly Roger burst into flames and suddenly blew. Emma screamed as David and Snow grabbed her again tightly and held her against them to keep her from collapsing to the ground. Everyone stared ahead at the wreckage and at the other ship as a fire erupted upon its deck as well, then they turned their heads to look at the Charmings with despair and a deep remorse for the loss that effected all of them. None of them could see what happened next and neither could those who were responsible.


	7. Chapter 7

Dead Reckoning

Chapter Seven

Days earlier in Neverland…

Somewhere deep within the forest that made up the island where no one ever grew old, the Lost Boys who still remained danced around a large fire they built to light up their camp and to keep warm from the cold night air. Since the loss of their leader and friend, they had lost sight of the importance in sending out scouts throughout the island to keep a watchful eye, and when the right time was to attack whomever they believed were a threat to their lives instead of just doing so on a whim. They had become Neverland's true savages, hunting and playing like wild animals. If they had sent out scouts as Pan would have done, they would have seen the mysterious ship arrive not far off from the island through a portal, bringing with it a dangerous man who was no stranger to Neverland, or to the Lost Boys who now ruled it.

When a small boat from the ship rowed to shore, a bald, dark skinned brute with a thin mustache and beard, and at least two silver teeth that could be seen when he sneered stepped off first, followed by his three crewmen that came over with him. The leader was well armed as he wore a large axe on his back, as well as numerous other weapons that included a cutlass at his side, two pistols and a dagger in his belt, and another one in his right boot.

He smiled cruelly as he looked at the island ahead of him and then he spoke with a heavy accent and a deep voice saying, "I had begun to believe I would never find my way back. But now I have. And at long last, I will see that my enemy is brought to his knees as I steal his life with the blade of my axe."

His right hand man came up to stand beside him as more of their men came over from the ship behind them, then he responded, "Neverland is just as you said it was. Thank you for trusting me and my men to help you to find your way home, Bishop. But it won't be easy to find him. And even more difficult to kill him. You know that better than the rest of us because this is our first time here to this island. But from all the stories you've told us…"

"Pan may have magic that protects him and keeps him the child he is, but he is not invincible," the sinister man known as Bishop interrupted darkly when a strange whistle or bird call sounded from within the forest. "He can be killed, and he will be by my hand."

"Is it true we will never grow a day older?" another of the men asked as the crew followed their leader deeper into woods now surrounding them with their weapons drawn in case of an attack. "This island doesn't look as magical as you made it sound. It's dark and eerie."

Bishop began to use his sword to slash through the thickets and undergrowth that blocked their path as he answered, "If you were expecting a land filled with rainbows and treasure ruled by magical fairies, then you have joined the wrong crew. This land may be darkened through villainy and evils that you cannot begin to comprehend, but it is my home and where I belong. If it was not for Pan, I would still be a boy of fifteen, not a middle aged man thirty-two years older than when I was banished. I will have my revenge on Pan for his dishonor."

All of a sudden, the brute froze where he stood and without a word to his men behind him, then he swiftly snatched something hidden within the brush beside him and roughly pulled out a boy who had been spying on them since they first entered the forest as he angrily cried out, "Let me go! Filthy pirate. I'll kill you!"

"We aren't pirates, boy," the crew's first mate replied coldly while their leader held the boy up off the ground as he held him tightly by his shoulders. "At least nothing like those who run with Captain Hook or Black Beard. Who are you?"

"I'm no one," the boy responded as he continued to struggle against the huge man's grasp, then finally relented. "I'm Oscar. Who are you?"

Bishop finally released him as the boy fell to the ground, but to keep him from running off, he swiftly stomped down on the child's chest and then answered, "Who we are is of no importance to you. But you on the other hand… you are of great importance. You are a Lost Boy. And you can take us to Pan. If you refuse, if you try to run again when I move my foot from your chest, I will kill you with the snap of your neck and find Pan without you."

Oscar glared up at the large man before him as the brute lifted him from off the ground and stood him on his feet, then he replied smugly, "If you've come to Neverland looking for Pan, then you're clearly not from this world. Or you've been gone a long time."

"What do you mean?" the leader asked when he suddenly grabbed the boy by his throat and began to squeeze until he loosened up just a little so Oscar could talk.

"Pan doesn't rule over Neverland anymore," Oscar sneered, despite the hand around his neck. "He's dead."

Bishop squeezed his throat harder again as he angrily responded, "That is not possible. Pan has been ruler of this island for centuries and knew this island's magic and tricks better than anyone who has ever lived here. Not one of you children have the strength or the knowledge needed to kill that villain."

When the brute shoved the Lost Boy up against a tree and released his neck once again, but held him in place, he answered, "It wasn't a Lost Boy who killed him. And Pan didn't die here in Neverland."

"Who killed him?" the men's leader asked gruffly when he pulled out one of his daggers and then forced it back up against Oscar's throat in order to force him to tell him what he wanted to know. "Tell me!"

"Rumplestiltskin killed our leader," another of the Lost Boys replied when he stepped out from behind one of the trees as a number of Neverland's inhabitants unexpectedly surrounded Bishop and his men with their own weapons raised. "The Dark One and Pan's own son. Now we rule Neverland. Have you come here to kill us, Badrick?"


	8. Chapter 8

Dead Reckoning

Chapter Eight

Centuries earlier…

 _After Malcolm abandoned his son to regain his youth and to become Peter Pan, he used his newfound powers as he flew throughout Neverland in exploration until he came upon a large cave forged in the shape of a skull. Out of awe and curiosity, the boy flew down to enter inside as the wind surrounding him whistled and the dark shadow appeared before him again._

 _"_ _What is this place?" Peter asked the entity while he looked all around him with wonderment. "I don't remember seeing it from my dreams."_

 _"That's because it didn't exist," his shadow answered quietly as it flew around the boy it was now a part of. "It was created when you made the decision to stay here."_

 _Pan continued, "A giant skull? It's glorious! What's the hourglass for?"_

 _The entity and the boy both turned to the giant timepiece mounted atop a pile of human skulls before them as the shadow replied, "It represents the magic fueling your youth, the magic allowing you to stay here, to stay young."_

 _"And what happens when it runs out?" Peter asked worryingly._

 _"Your youth will be taken and you will die," his shadow callously responded._

 _Pan stared at the entity with confusion while he questioned. "But I thought I was going to stay young forever."_

 _It continued to fly around him as it answered, "Neverland is a place for children to visit in their dreams, not a place for them to live. You are the first to try to stay. And in doing so, you're breaking the rules."_

 _"Any rule can be broken, especially here," Peter retorted out of disbelief. "I made this place without even thinking about it. There has to be a way."_

 _"Perhaps," the entity stated._

 _Finally, the man who was now a boy turned back to face the hourglass while he spoke up again defiantly saying, "Then I will find it. I will find a way. I believe."_

Days before Hook's final departure from Neverland…

A small group of Lost Boys gathered together within another of the island's many caves after being sent out by Pan to scout and hunt for food so they could rest before heading back to their camp where they were due to return soon. However, as most of the boys stood to continue their trek back, one of the oldest and by far the largest in stature stayed where he stood against the far wall and called out to them to stop.

They all stared at him strangely until one of them asked curtly, "Why did you ask us all to stop? We can't take any more time in here. We need to get back before we're late. You heard what Pan told us before we left the camp. What's been going on with you, Badrick? You've been even more of a brute over the last few days than ever before."

"I am not a brute!" the biggest of them snapped angrily. "The next one of you to call me one again, will get my axe through their chest. As for what Pan said… I don't care anymore. I no longer believe in him. He is not the revered leader we all thought he was. Pan claims to be a hero. He claims to believe in us and in our loyalty. He says he's loyal to this island, but all he cares about is himself!"

"You speak lies," another of the Lost Boys, who went by the name of Devin, replied crossly. "Pan cares about us. He saved us when our parents abandoned us. When no one else cared whether we lived or died. Pan would never betray us!"

Badrick stepped away from the wall as he moved to stand before the one speaking out against him, easily towering above him while he forcefully responded, "I heard it for myself! I followed him late nights ago to Skull Rock and heard him talking to his shadow. The shadow warned Pan that time was drawing nearer and he was growing closer to his death unless Pan finds the child with the heart of the truest believer."

Devin shrugged in confusion as he said, "We all know he's been looking for this other boy. That's no secret. And it doesn't prove any disloyalty. This kid is going to save us all and all of Neverland."

"That kid is only going to save Pan himself," the brute answered as he suddenly shoved Devin down to the ground without hardly any force at all because it didn't take much due to his size, then turned to the rest of the Lost Boys who were more inclined to listen to what their friend was saying, rather than argue. "There is nothing I can say to will convince you I am right, but I am. I say that we rise against Pan. All of us together and there will be nothing he can do to stop us."

"You want to mutiny against our leader like a pirate?" another of the boys questioned in disbelief.

Badrick glared over at him as he replied, "Call it an uprising. If we destroy the hourglass I saw within Skull Rock, it will end Peter Pan once and for all and then I can lead you. Up until now, I have been the most loyal to Pan and I am the most loyal to this world. I've fought against Hook and his band of pirates, as well as the Indian Braves, and even mermaids. I would die before I abandon Neverland to a ruler undeserving of its full power. What do you say? Will you join me?"

Devin scoffed and then responded, "We've all been loyal to Pan, but no one more so than Felix. You doubted him and you think yourself a better ruler. We won't help you turn against Pan."

The others all nodded their heads in agreement with Devin, then turned to leave the cave without another word to the fifteen year old brute who tried to start an uprising against the boy who brought them all together. While Badrick had been denied his chance to become Neverland's new ruler, he wasn't going to give up trying to rid the island of its traitor, even if he had to do so on his own.

After the Lost Boys were gone, a green glow appeared from within the back of the cave that was cast in darkness and Pan slowly walked out of the shadows until he stood within what little light lit up the dark skies. His shadow then flew out above his head and turned to face its chosen one.

"I let down my guard and failed to see that one of my own is seeking to destroy," Peter uttered coldly as he looked into the entity's eyes. "Badrick never should have been able to follow me the other night."

"Even despite the power within out possession, we cannot see everything that goes on within this realm, all the time," the boy's shadow answered. "What shall we do? Will you have him killed?"

Pan though for a moment until he smiled and then replied smugly, "Actually, I have an even better idea and we have Badrick himself to thank for it. He said he would rather die than to abandon Neverland to me. I know of a way that I can force him out of this world for good and his banishment will be of his own making. Unfortunately, if this is going to work, I will have to make good on a deal that I never had any intention of honoring… until now. Go out to find Hook. Tell him he will want to come to my camp for what I'm about to offer him."

The entity responded, "A chance to leave Neverland for good so he can finally have his revenge against his Crocodile."


	9. Chapter 9

Dead Reckoning

Chapter Nine

When Pan's shadow came to the pirate Captain while he and his men were aboard the Jolly Roger, Hook was down in his private quarters, lying on his bed while he studied the symbols and star map engraved into the gold sextant that his brother had given him long ago, the markings Killian had known by heart since he lost the only family he had left in the world. He heard his men shout out from the ship's deck that the shadow had come and immediately pulled his cutlass even though he knew it would do him no good in defending himself against it should the entity attack him.

The shadow flew down and floated above the Captain within the room as Hook glared at it while he asked, "What the devil does the demon want now? Our alliance has long since been over."

It continued to stare at him as the entity replied, "Pan wishes to speak with you. He says you will want to come to his camp and hear him out."

"There is nothing he can say that I want to hear," Hook responded curtly and lowered his sword until he finally rested it back in the scabbard that hung at his side. "We both know every word that comes out of his mouth is either a lie or has a hidden meaning behind it that only benefits himself."

"Perhaps… but what if what he wishes to offer you, is a deal that will benefit you as well?" Pan's shadow questioned. "Leaving Neverland for good is what you want. I believe if you hear Peter out and do as he asks of you, he can make this happen."

The one-handed pirate glared up at it as he coldly asked, "How do I know this isn't some sort of trick? Some sort of trap Pan has lying in wait?"

The entity floated down so that it and Hook were eye level, then it answered, "You don't know that it isn't, but I assure you it's not. If Pan wanted to set a trap for you, he could have done so at any time and without sending me here to give you his message. He hasn't ordered your death yet and as far as he knows, you've done nothing to provoke him into doing so for some time. What do you say, Hook? Will you allow me to guide you to Pan's camp? I can assure your safety."

"Very well, but I'll be bringing my first mate with me, if only to attempt to make any fight that might break out more fair for me," Hook replied smugly.

"If you insist," the boy's shadow responded, then flew out of the Captain's quarters while the pirate followed behind it, motioning to Mr. Smee to follow when he waked past him.

Nearly an hour later, after Hook and Smee walked behind the shadow through the dark forest surrounding them, they finally arrived at Pan's latest camp, then stood ground in front of the large bonfire before them while the Lost Boys rose to their feet and slowly surrounded the two pirates with their weapons at the ready.

Hook didn't draw his sword this time, but he did however lower his hand to keep it trained on the blade's hilt, then he leaned over and whispered into his first mate's ear, "Keep a sharp eye, Mr. Smee. Trouble could come from anywhere."

Smee nodded and then uttered nervously, "That's what I'm afraid of."

"Well, this is just about the warm welcome I was expecting," the pirate Captain then called out smugly while he looked between the boys glaring back at him. "I understand the demon wanted to have a talk. So, where is he?"

"Relax, Captain… I'm here," Peter answered from the shadows and then slowly walked out among those loyal to him and his enemies. "I'm glad you've come. I knew my offer of your freedom would get you here."

Hook glared at the boy and replied, "It has. So, what do I have to do in order to earn passage out of this infernal realm? I won't help you kill any more of your enemies. I won't go into the Indian camp to talk to Tiger Lily again or to help you enforce some kind of treaty between you and her people and I won't go there to murder her for you as I did her father down at Skull Rock."

Pan just smiled, then he responded, "As luck would have it, I don't need you to do any of those things for me. It's as you've said. Our alliance has long since been ended. But… I do need your help to rid me of one of my enemies. Don't worry, you won't have to kill him. I have something else in mind for him. What I need is someone willing to fight against him in a duel until either he or you are beaten, not dead."

"I don't understand," Hook stated as he looked between Peter and his shadow now floating above him. "If all you want to see is a duel, why not just have one of your own imps fight this enemy of yours? Why is such an undaunting task worthy of passage out of Neverland?"

"Because some of my boys are still loyal to this enemy and while there are more who are most loyal to me, I still cannot have any of them fight one of their own," Pan answered while he walked among the Lost Boys until he came to a stop in front of Badrick as Felix, Devin, and two others immediately grabbed the brute and forced him out into the opening nearer to the fire and Hook, then down to his knees.

Pan pulled his own sword and forced the sharp end of it to Badrick's throat, then he spoke up coldly saying, "There isn't anything that goes on here in Neverland without my knowledge, old friend. I was there within that cave when you attempted to start your uprising against me. I should thank you, as I now know who among you are truly loyal to me and to this world. But I cannot allow you stay here among us, or anywhere else… unless of course you devote yourself to me and to Neverland once and for all."

Badrick glared at the leader of the Lost Boys as he questioned, "You speak of loyalty and your love for this land as though it means something to you, when I know the truth from your own lips. The only thing you care about, is yourself. You would sooner burn Neverland to the ground if it meant staying young forever. And you would not hesitate to kill every last one of us."

"You're wrong, Badrick," Peter replied sternly. "Whatever you think you heard, you heard wrong. I really wish I didn't have to do this. I wish that I could trust you won't ever try to get my friends to turn against me again, but I can't. You will fight against Captain Hook in a duel. If you lose, I will banish you from Neverland and the Captain will be taking you aboard the Jolly Roger when he leaves our island for good."

"You can drop him off someplace… anywhere of your own choosing, Captain," Pan continued as he turned back to the pirate once again. "That is the other reason why I need you. I know that Badrick here loves Neverland nearly as much as I do, which is why banishment is the perfect punishment and I need you to take him away from here."

"And what if I win?" the traitor sneered as he struggled against the other boys' hold on him while he glared between both Pan and Hook. "What is to stop me from running Captain Hook through with my axe when I beat him into the ground?"

Hook scoffed and then responded, "I think you underestimate me, mate. Or maybe you overestimate your own skills because of your large stature. I assure you, I've fought against bigger and have won."

Peter looked between the largest of the boys among them and the pirate, then he answered, "Badrick… if you do happen to beat Hook, then I won't stop you from killing him. I know how much you despise him like the rest of us. And to give you even more of a motivation to want to win, I will grant you a pardon and allow you to stay here in Neverland, though you won't be welcome to remain among the Lost Boys any longer. You will simply have to fend off the dangers of this island on your own. What do you both say? Do you agree to these terms of the duel in which you're about to fight?"

"It appears I have no choice," Hook muttered glumly as he turned his gaze to his devoted first mate who nodded at his Captain worryingly, while he pulled his cutlass from its scabbard once again.

"No… it appears we don't," Badrick reacted as well, when he pulled his axe from his back, then prepared himself to fight against the Lost Boys' enemy.

A great fight broke out as Hook defended himself against the brutal onslaught of the boy larger than he was when Badrick struck out against him first. Thankfully, Hook was well trained with a blade and with the use of his hook to help him since all he had was one hand to fight his enemies with. For awhile, it appeared as though the brute was going to win the battle due to his size and never ending attacks against the Captain, especially when one of the many strikes with the axe forced Hook on his back against the ground with the large weapon against his throat.

Smee called out to his friend in fear, but stayed put knowing his help was against the rules of any duel. Hook struggled to keep the axe's blade from landing as he used his hook to keep the brute's wrist from coming down on its target while holding the top of the axe with his hand, having dropped his own weapon a few feet to his left.

Knowing there was only one thing he could do, Hook let go of the axe with his hand while he struggled that much harder to hold the axe off of his throat, reached into his coat's inside pocket, then swiftly pulled out a dagger and finally thrust it deep into Badrick's shoulder as the large boy screamed out. Hook suddenly kicked the man off of him and stood back on his feet, then forced his own sword against the brute's throat while the once Lost Boy remained on his knees. Hook had won and in the end, he was rewarded with his freedom.


	10. Chapter 10

Dead Reckoning

Chapter Ten

Back in the present, moments before the Jolly Roger is destroyed…

Killian kept the Jolly Roger between the attacking ship and the rowboat making its way back to the shore in order to protect his stepson and Violet from the onslaught for as long as he could. When the Captain looked through his spyglass again and saw they were safe once they reached the beach where his wife and their friends also stood, Killian immediately spun the wheel again to turn the Jolly Roger to face his enemies so he could have one chance to fire off a single shot that would delay the ship from making another attack against Storybrooke, knowing it was all he'd be able to do.

Unfortunately, another cannonball was fired towards him as well and Killian's instinct told him it would be the shot that would finally destroy the Jolly Roger after she had survived well over two hundred years. Killian immediately lit the cannon's fuse to fire off a chain shot aimed at the attacking ship's main mast, then ran across the deck as he dove overboard into the ocean below when his ship burst into flames and suddenly blew once the fire reached the gunpowder kept within the hold.

After he jumped, Killian swam down and away from the wreckage as best as he could until pieces of the riggings slammed down on top of him despite his efforts to avoid being struck by the blast. Adrenaline was all that kept him from losing consciousness as he continued to fight his way back up to the surface. However, his body slowly became twisted within the ropes as he struggled against them to break free. It wasn't long before his adrenaline left him as he slowly began to sink.

Before his eyes closed, a white light suddenly shined over him above the surface through the dark waters until the large shadow of a ship took the light's place. Just as unconsciousness claimed him, a hand reached out and wrapped around his wrist while another touched a part of the rigging twisted around him as the ropes magically fell away until he was finally freed. Both hands then pulled Killian up as the one who had come to save him brought him back to the surface.

Back on the shore, no one saw the third ship as it appeared where the Jolly Roger once stood. David continued to hold his daughter tightly while she wept in the belief that her husband was killed when his ship was destroyed. Snow came up behind Emma as she wrapped her arms around them both and the silence between all those there to witness the battle between ships continued until August ran down to them, followed closely by Marco and Archie who had stopped by their garage while out walking Pongo.

"We heard what we thought was… gunfire," Emma's oldest friend stated in shock while he stared out at the fire and wreckage he quickly realized was all that was left of Hook's ship upon seeing Emma crying with her parents' arms, then realized that their friend must have been killed when it blew. "Oh my God."

"Emma, we're so… so sorry," Marco whispered sadly. "If there's anything we can do…"

The Savior finally pulled away from her parents hold, as she walked down to stand on the shoreline to get away from everyone and wiped away the tears from her eyes, which then grew cold while she stared out at the enemy ship slowly pulling away from Storybrooke despite the damage it sustained in Killian's defense.

Henry spoke up quietly saying, "Killian said they were here because of him. He didn't recognize the ship or whoever was sailing it, but he didn't think they would be here for anything else. Except he wanted us to warn everyone in case they decided to attack our town. If he didn't have to protect Violet and me, he would have been able to fight back sooner."

David and Snow slowly walked up behind again Emma while he said firmly, "I promise you, we'll go after the men who did this, Emma. We'll take a boat from the harbor to go after them and even use magic to apprehend whoever they are if that's what it takes."

"Killian is a survivor," Snow added gently. "There's a chance he might still be…"

"What… alive?" their daughter retorted angrily when she spun around to finally face them. "How could he be? There's nothing out there, but water. And even if he managed to jump before his ship blew…"

All of a sudden, Anton pointed out towards the wreckage upon seeing a small boat rowing towards them by magic from where the battle took place, seeing a single man standing within the center of the vessel as he shouted, "Wait! Who's that? And what is he carrying?"

Everyone turned in the direction their friend indicated and saw who he spoke of, then while the boat drew nearer, Emma suddenly started running into the ocean towards the newcomer as she cried out, "Killian!"

David, August, and Anton all ran after her upon seeing their unconscious friend being carried within the man's arms and when they reached the boat, the men carefully took Killian into their own arms so they could care for him while Emma laid her hands over her husband's face and chest as she ran alongside them. In that moment, the newcomer was forgotten as everyone concentrated solely on Killian.

They laid him down within the sand, then Emma and David both knelt over him as the Savior began to give him mouth to mouth, while David gave him chest compressions in order to get him breathing again. At long last, Killian suddenly began to spit up the water that had filled his lungs. Emma laid one hand gently over his chest and used the other to tenderly caress his cheek while he struggled to get his breathing back under control, then finally opened his eyes as he weakly looked up into hers until he winced and let out a painful gasp when he tried to move.

"His leg is hurt, as are his left side and stomach," the stranger uttered worryingly from where he continued to stand back while they helped Killian, when everyone finally turned to stare at him in shock, as few of them recognized the stranger from when they traveled down into the Underworld. "The rigging twisted around him as the ropes tightened and pulled my brother under."

"Li… Liam?" Killian stuttered as he continued to struggle through his pain and his inability to breathe from nearly drowning and swallowing as much ocean water as he had.

The older Jones smiled sadly as he reached out to touch Killian's shoulder as gently as he could without hurting or jostling him further, then responded, "Try not to talk, little brother. Just allow Emma and your friends to help you. I promise, I'll try to explain everything when you're well again."

While he spoke, the Savior raised her hands above Killian and emitted her magic to heal the man she loved. When she finished, he looked into his wife's eyes once more and then the two of them wrapped their arms around one another, holding each other close until Emma pulled back enough so that she could kiss him while he wiped away a single tear that slipped down her cheek.

Everyone turned away as the newlyweds comforted one another and looked either at Liam or out among the ocean, then Leroy finally spoke up again as he asked the newcomer what was on everyone's minds, "Where did you come from? That other pirate ship that just tried to kill your own brother?"

"Leroy, now isn't the time for this," David quickly retorted before the dwarf could say anything more.

"It's all right," Liam replied. "No… I came in my own ship."

They all looked out over the ocean and when they couldn't see anything more than the wreckage of the Jolly Roger, Henry questioned, "What ship?"

Killian's brother extended his arm as he waved his hand and seconds after doing so, it was then that another ship did suddenly appear upon the waters before them, a ship which looked exactly like the Jolly Roger. Killian struggled to stand and then with Emma's help, he weakly walked towards the shoreline to look out at the sight before them.

Liam looked over at the teenager as he answered, "That there is the Jewel of the Realm."

"I don't understand," Snow responded in confusion. "How…?"

"The Jewel of the Realm was the name of the ship we first served on when we joined the Royal Navy," Killian continued before his brother could. "She later became Liam's until my brother died, after which I renamed her the Jolly Roger when I first became a pirate to avenge his death. Liam… how are you here? I watched as you moved on."

The older Jones turned to his brother and gently squeezed Killian's shoulder again, then answered, "It's a long story. Why don't we find someplace more comfortable where we can all talk."

Down in the Underworld months earlier…

 _After Liam released his hold on his brother's hand despite Killian's struggle to hold onto him, the older Jones rose from the fiery pit he had been blown into by Hades moments ago above the smoke that slowly dispersed while he stood in the center a rowboat, being lifted back up to safety by the water now surrounding him, then Killian turned his head and looked on with surprise upon seeing Liam before him, and that he was unharmed._

 _Killian quickly stood as he uttered softly, "Liam. You're safe."_

 _"Yes," the older brother responded sounding just as surprised as Killian was. "It appears I am."_

 _"I suppose this is a sacrifice I should have made long ago," he continued after he let out a small chuckle. "And now I can finally depart."_

 _While he said this, the boat moved him around the ledge where Killian stood so that he could say goodbye, then the younger man nodded in understanding and replied, "Then go. All of you."_

 _Killian and Liam both turned to the crew they had sailed with long ago as Killian spoke to them saying, "Now that you finally know the truth, your unfinished business is complete as well."_

 _"Get on board, men," he then called out as he moved around and knelt down to hold the boat for them to climb aboard while Liam held his hand out to them._

 _"What about you, brother?" the older Jones finally asked as he looked up again at Killian once the men were settled._

 _Killian turned back to him and answered, "My unfinished business isn't done yet. Not until Emma and I have defeated Hades."_

 _Liam also nodded in understanding of his brother's decision to stay and then he responded, "Tell her I'm sorry, and I was wrong. She does want what's best for you. And don't worry about reaching that bar anymore, Killian. You've become a true hero in a way I never could."_

 _"Goodbye," he finally uttered as he held out his arm for his brother to grasp, and clasped Killian's in return while they remained standing before one another with their arms interlocked for a few moments._

 _"Goodbye, brother," the younger Jones replied sadly as he released his hold and watched on while Liam and the others slowly moved away towards their new ship awaiting them, to bring them to the peaceful afterlife they all deserved._

Meanwhile, aboard the ship which attacked the Jolly Roger…

The first mate walked up behind his leader and then said quietly, "For a man who just succeeded in killing one of his enemies, especially one who will help give you peace as well as a rare gift which will be granted to you upon our return to Neverland, you don't seem very happy right now. Bishop… what's wrong?"

The brute stared out at the horizon before them as he answered coldly, "He is not yet dead. I can feel it. I underestimated him again and charged without caution. We are heading back to this strange land and I will use the weapon I was given that will assure me victory. Turn the ship around. I will kill Hook with my own hands."


	11. Chapter 11

Dead Reckoning

Chapter Eleven

Days ago, back in Neverland…

Bishop and his men followed the Lost Boys through the forest back to their camp in silence while the now fully grown brute seethed in anger upon learning of Pan's death that didn't come by his own hands. None of the boys were any more forthcoming with information in regard to how their leader had come to leave Neverland only to be killed by his own son. It was clear they were waiting to get back to the camp so that whoever was in charge of them now could speak for them, that is if anyone was actually in charge of this rabble.

It turned out that no one did lead them anymore as the Lost Boys now ran around wild and free, though there were few of the older boys who were more dominating than the rest and one of them spoke as Bishop and his crewmen were led into the camp as he asked, "Badrick? Is that really you? You've gotten so old. And big."

The brute glared up at the boy he remembered from when he lived on this island long ago and then answered coldly, "I am no longer Badrick. I go by Bishop now, Ace. And I have gotten old… because I have spent the last thirty-two years fighting to find my way back here to Neverland after your beloved leader banished me from this world. None of you stood up for me!"

"None of us stood up for you because all of us respected and loved Pan," the boy who went by the name Ace responded when he jumped down to the ground from his perch above them, then stood beside the bonfire, in front of the newcomers. "You tried to spark an uprising against him. But you failed. And now you've finally returned an old man, so you can try to kill him. Unfortunately for us, the Dark One beat you to it. Fortunately for us, I can see it makes you angry that you can't kill him yourself."

"Even if he was still here, you would never be able to kill him," another of the boys curtly added. "He was much too powerful."

Bishop sneered, "Why do you think it took the Dark One to finally help that evil child to meet his end?"

Ace kept his eyes trained on the large man still standing before him and then spoke again saying, "So, your reason for being here is no longer possible. Which means we have to decide whether or not we let you and your men live. We could kill you."

"You could try, but you would not succeed," the brute replied as he rose his axe up higher to prepare for an attack should it come, while his crewmen did the same with their own weapons. "At least not in killing me. No matter how many of you there are now."

"You're awfully confident of yourself," another of the Lost Boys retorted angrily. "I say we kill them!"

Ace looked around between the rest of his tribe while they all seemed to have mixed feelings on how to deal with the man who had once been one of their own, then he turned back to Bishop and answered coldly, "You came here with the desire to kill Pan and to attack us if necessary to get to him. However, because your reason for returning has already been dealt with and you haven't tried to fight yourselves free… and because you were once one of us, we're going to spare your life and the lives of your men. You're free to live somewhere among the island so long as it's not here within our camp. It's only right since you've spent the last… thirty-two years, was it? To find your way back here."

Bishop glared at him as he responded, "I have spent three decades searching for any kind of magic that would help me find my way home. I killed many men to get my hands on what I needed to become the man Peter Pan made me when he banished me from this realm. I am now the brute you once mocked me of being. To some degree, I suppose I owe you for making me what I am. So, I will simply say… thank you. We have an accord. But should you and the rest of your tribe come against us at any time, we will become enemies and I will stop at nothing to kill you as I would have killed Pan."

Ace smiled as he replied, "Agreed."

After Bishop and his men were escorted from the camp by some of the Lost Boys and then released, they parted their separate ways and the pirates walked deeper through island's forest in search for somewhere to set up their own camp. When finally doing so, while the brute's men worked to make themselves at home and to build a fire, Bishop separated from them to find himself a quiet place to be alone while he struggled to come to terms with his disappointment upon being unable to get his revenge.

"It's been a long time, old friend," a menacing voice suddenly called out to him from somewhere amongst the shadows surrounding the brute, as Bishop immediately stood back on his feet and pulled up his axe once more while he looked around for the new invader. "I haven't come to fight. I simply wish to talk."

"Where are you?" the big man asked curtly. "Show yourself!"

Finally, the source of the voice appeared from behind the brute until it flew around and floated in the air above him, as Bishop saw the voice had come from a shadow still around from long ago without its host, then he uttered, "Who are you? And why have you come to me?"

The shadow shook its head, then answered, "I'm hurt you don't recognize my voice even if it has been a long time. I was killed nearly sixty years before you were banished from this world. At my life's end, I can honestly say you were one of my only friends. Even Pan showed his true colors when he didn't to come to my aid when I needed him to."

"Rufio?" Bishop questioned upon recognizing the entity at last.

"Hello, Badrick," it responded. "Clearly my body isn't alive any longer, but my shadow still lives because I was fortunate enough to suspect death was coming for me. So, I freed my shadow and went into hiding as Rufio told me to so Pan wouldn't know I still existed should I die and he didn't. I was killed a few nights later."

The brute nodded as he sat on a boulder nearby, then replied, "I remember. So why have you revealed yourself to me now?"

The shadow would have smiled if it could, but instead it simply answered, "You may not be able to have your vengeance against Pan, but I can provide you restitution for what he stole from you."

"And what is that?" Bishop asked curtly while he glared up at the entity still floating above him.

"I can give you back your youth, just as the shadow that became Pan's did for him so many years ago," it responded, then floated down so it was eye level with the man. "If one's shadow remains unattached long enough after their host has died, we gain… certain abilities. But if you agree, you have to be willing to do something for me first. This rare gift isn't something I can simply give you for nothing."

The large man stared at the entity skeptically as he asked, "If you can restore the years Pan took from me, I would do anything. What do you require I do?"

The shadow continued, "I need you to travel to a far away land called Storybrooke. It's a magical town surrounded by a non-magical realm and it's well protected unless you have a way inside, which I can provide. There you will find Captain Hook, who still lives and claims himself a hero. Hook stole my life from me, but you're the only one who can help me gain my own revenge. I believe you have a grudge against him as well, for defeating you in the duel the two of you fought back then. I can give you a gift that will ensure you victory over him this time. What do you say, Bishop? Can you kill Hook so we both can have what we want?"

"Killing Hook will be a great pleasure for which no reward is necessary, but most appreciated nevertheless," Bishop replied smugly. "I have a ship and a crew, but how do I get to this… Storybrooke?"

"I will show you the way," the entity said quietly and then motioned for the brute to follow.


	12. Chapter 12

Dead Reckoning

Chapter Twelve

Snow looked down at her son still in her arms and was grateful that he was still asleep despite the chaos from the battle which took place minutes earlier, then David came up behind them as he rested his hand on the small of his wife's back while they had begun to follow Emma and Killian, as well as the others away from the beach. However, Liam laid his hand over his brother's back to stop him and the others a moment when he saw two more boats from the Jewel of the Realm coming towards them.

"Wait… I asked for my crew to join me," the older Jones stated while everyone watched as his men arrived on land, then walked towards their Captain and the heroes. "As much as we love the sailing the seas, it's nice to step foot on dry ground once in awhile. Surely you remember them, brother?"

"Silver's old crew," Killian replied with surprise. "They've been sailing with you since you helped them to move on from the Underworld?"

Liam answered, "I wasn't really the one who made it possible for any of us to move on, Killian. You did."

Emma smiled proudly as she tightened her hold around her husband's waist, but when he lowered his head upon feeling uncomfortable by his brother's praise, she changed the subject while she spoke up saying, "We can all head over to Granny's so we can talk more comfortably."

"Can you walk all right?" she then asked quietly as she turned to look up at Killian again. "I can transport us there if you're still too weak to…"

"You healed my injuries, Swan," he whispered as everyone including Liam and his crew walked on ahead of them. "I told you, I'm fine. I promise."

When he stepped away from her to try to catch up to Liam, clearly not wanting the attention, the Savior then turned her head to stare out over the ocean again, her face changing from concern for Killian to anger while Regina stepped up to stand beside Emma as she questioned, "You're still worried about whoever attacked Hook I take it?"

Without looking at her, Emma responded, "Whoever it was is still out there somewhere. I can't risk them returning so they can try to kill him again. We have to do something."

"I agree," the Queen replied in concern. "They destroyed the Jolly Roger, so most likely they'll simply leave to go back to wherever the hell they came from after they finish repairing their own ship. But if I'm wrong… I can reinforce the protection spells I put up around Storybrooke. I just don't think they'll help us any if they figure out Hook's still alive before disappearing through the barriers. Perhaps not even if they pass through them. They never should have been able to get into Storybrooke in the first place."

"I don't care what it takes to make sure these pirates don't hurt Killian again," Emma said more firmly. "We'll put up the spells together. At least they'll be stronger than before. I'll keep Killian close to me in case his attackers do come back."

Once they finished, Emma ran to catch up with her husband and the others while Regina followed in less of a hurry as they continued walking back towards town. After they walked into the diner, everyone who had been there to witness what happened down on the beach sat down at the tables so they could listen to Liam while he began to share his story. Granny brought them all out something to drink and upon hearing one of the dwarfs uttering something about Hook having been injured, she laid a glass on the table in front of him, then poured him some rum knowing he needed something stronger.

David took Neal from his wife's arms to hold his son for awhile as he turned to Liam and asked, "So, how did you get here after you and your men moved on from the Underworld? We saw how you arrived on the shore, so I'm guessing you're still…"

When the Prince cut himself off feeling a little awkward about mentioning the man's death, but Liam smiled as he stated, "Dead? It's all right to talk about it, though I do appreciate your reservations. Yes, I moved on as Killian said. As did the rest of our old crew whom we served with while Captain Silver's slaves."

"I'm sorry, Killian," Liam immediately apologized when he noticed his brother bow his head in shame upon him bringing up the memory of their years in slavery, knowing how much being abandoned to become a slave had hurt Killian.

"It was a long time ago," the younger Jones answered quietly. "Please continue."

The other Captain nodded and then spoke again saying, "We serve as emissaries for the King of the Gods. Zeus gave me a chance to pay my penance for making the deal with Hades. Now we help the souls who have died by transporting them to where they belong in their afterlife. The Jewel of the Realm allows us to travel between worlds. We've been working with Arthur to help make the Underworld a better place for those who can't move on right away."

One of the crewmen looked over at Killian from where he stood among the rest of those who had died as he continued, "We're proud to serve with your brother because we all have mistakes to make up for after serving under Silver and obeyed his every command blindly. Captain Jones is a much better Captain than Silver ever was."

"I'm happy you're all well, but Liam… how is it you're here?" the younger Jones asked when he turned to look over at his brother sitting on his left, while Emma sat on his right. "How did you know I was in danger?"

"I've been keeping my eyes on you since we parted in the Underworld, little brother," Liam responded as he reached out to lay one of his hands over Killian's left arm above his hook. "I've looked after you most of your life until my death. My penance allows me to continue doing so. I know how much you've struggled with believing in yourself and seeing yourself the way I always have, as a hero. I needed to know that you were alright. Now you and Emma are married and you're truly happy at long last. I'm proud of you, Killian. Truly."

His eyes darkened as he added, "But then I sensed you were in danger. I somehow sense when everyone's about to die, but it's stronger with you, most likely because you're my brother I gather. We came here as quickly as we could in hope of warning you. Unfortunately, we were almost too late."

Emma shook her head as she replied, "You were just in time. You saved Killian's life after the Jolly Roger was destroyed in the attack against him. I can't thank you enough."

"Aye… Nor I," Killian whispered, then lowered his head again as he took another drink of the rum in front of him, and Emma saw the sadness in his eyes.

After Liam finished sharing how he and his crew found themselves in Storybrooke, everyone started to talk within smaller groups while a number of conversations broke out around the room. When Killian began to talk with some of the men under his brother's leadership, Emma leaned over to kiss her husband's cheek, then stood again as she quietly motioned to Liam to join her over at the bar so they could talk alone for a few minutes and he quickly excused himself so he could.

"You should know that whenever something like this happens, Killian always begins to fall back into a depression, especially when trouble from his past shows up," Emma whispered, keeping her back to her husband while she talked. "Honestly, he was already upset about something else that happened earlier this morning. And now… another enemy has risen to try to kill him. I don't know what I would do if I lost Killian again. I went down into the Underworld and dragged my family with me when he died the first time… because of me. I can't risk doing that again after we unwittingly set Hades free upon our world and lost another friend of ours trying to stop him, so I can't lose Killian now. Please stay and help me to protect him. I lived most of my life alone, believing no one would ever love me. Even after I found my family, it wasn't until your brother came into my life that I was able to accept someone could. He helped me to see this was my home and that I could find true love. I love him so much. I hope you know that."

Liam sincerely answered, "I do understand that now, Emma. I'm so sorry for the things I said to you the day we met. I was wrong. I tried to split you and Killian apart, believing that I was protecting my little brother. I failed to see how much good you've done for him, like he's done for you. Despite what he might be feeling now, you helped to bring out the good that was always in him in all those years of darkness. I came here because my brother was in danger. However, I owed you too. I'm not going anywhere until I know for sure my brother's safe."

The Savior smiled until she let it fade again when she asked, "Will there be any consequences to you and your men… or to Killian, for tempting fate by coming here and saving Killian's life instead of helping him to move on like Zeus and the other Gods probably thinks you should have?"

"Honestly, I don't know," he responded worryingly, then turned to look over at his brother again as Killian stood up and quietly left the diner without another word to anyone. "I couldn't just stand by and watch him die again so soon when there was something I could do to save him. Killian has suffered for far too long in his life. Now he finally has the happiness he has so desperately longed for and that he deserves. I couldn't take him away from you. Thank you for being willing to risk everything to save him from his eternal torment inflicted upon him by Hades. Now, you'd better get after my brother to assure him he's not to blame for whatever it is he's hating himself for right now, before you won't be able to find him."

"I'll always find him," Emma replied steadfastly. "No matter what."

Down in the Underworld…

 _After all her time searching desperately for the man she loved, Emma finally found him as Killian was being lowered closer into the River of Lost Souls when she came running into the cavern, then upon seeing him so tormented and broken, the Savior suddenly cried, "Killian! Killian."_

 _While breathing heavily because of the fear she felt for him, she looked around for a way to cross so she could get to him before he became as lost as the rest of the souls floating around in the dark river below and finally saw a narrow beam which lead across to the platform where he was dangling, then he was lowered again and she prepared to cross, stepping out onto the beam shouting, "Hang on! I'm coming for you!"_

 _Emma continued to breathe heavily while she started out until she stumbled, nearly falling herself, but she managed to regain her balance and she continued as quickly as she could, then just before Hook was about to fall into the water, the Savior finally reached him, pulled him to safety, and helped him to sit up as she stated assuredly, "I got you!"_

 _"Oh... Killian," she whispered with fear in her voice and in her eyes after she struggled to help him sit up while pulling away the one chain which had hoisted him up moments ago, then finally looked him over and was horrified by the wounds covering his body because of the torture Hades inflicted upon him._

 _"I told you to let me go," Killian finally said weakly, struggling to speak and to look into her eyes as he fought against the anguish throughout his entire body. "You shouldn't be here. Nobody should."_

 _"I never listen," she tearfully replied._

 _He gave her a sad smiled and then answered, "You're impossible."_

 _Emma looked into his eyes as she responded, "And you love me for it."_

 _Killian weakly chuckled at her after he could no longer speak and when he fell silent except for the soft sounds of his pain which he couldn't keep hidden from her, Emma pulled him into a hug and held him tightly in an embrace, if only to assure the man she loved that she truly had come to save him. Neither of them knew how long they had really stayed this way, but finally Emma helped him to stand, then together they slowly and carefully made their way out of Killian's own personal hell._


	13. Chapter 13

Dead Reckoning

Chapter Thirteen

After leaving the diner, Killian slowly walked down the street with nowhere in particular to go in mind. Normally, he would walk down to the harbor or to the beach to look out over the ocean, but after the attack that nearly had killed him and blew up the vessel that had been his only home and refuge for the last two hundred years, the ocean no longer held the peace they once did. And even though Emma had healed him, he still felt weak. Much like he was still drowning. However, he realized this feeling was more because he was overwhelmed by all that's happened. It was too much, too fast. As much as he wanted to stay with his brother and wife amongst his family and friends, he just couldn't take it any longer.

By the time Killian snapped out of his thoughts he had drifted into, he found himself within the cemetery not too far away from the center of town. He turned his head to look behind him and realized it was the area where his own body had been laid to rest after Emma had been forced to kill him to save their loved ones from the darkness trapped within himself. The area where he reappeared again after being resurrected by Zeus as a reward for helping to defeat Hades. His tombstone had been removed and the ground where his grave had been was no longer as visible since his coffin was no longer buried there, but this was a place that still unnerved him even on the good days.

He was kneeling down while he had begun to run his hand over the cold ground when Emma finally found him and before he rose upon hearing her coming up from behind him, then kneel down beside him, he felt her arms wrap gently around him while she whispered, "You shouldn't be here. Of all the places you could have chosen to walk to so you could be alone…"

Killian turned his head in her direction, but without actually looking into her eyes as much as he wanted to, he responded, "I'm not really sure why I came here. I suppose yet another near death experience has stirred up painful memories and subconsciously I somehow found myself here. Forgive me for walking out on you, and everyone. I don't mean to seem ungrateful for their kindness and their concern. It's just there were far too many people. I needed air and quiet. And seeing Liam again… as wonderful as it is, it's not easy."

"I get it," his wife answered and then helped him to stand up again while she turned him around to face her. "I really do. But Killian, right now it's too dangerous for you to wonder off on your own. Whoever tried to kill you is likely still here in Storybrooke somewhere. They might have left in the belief that they succeeded, but…"

"The chances aren't very likely that it's true," he finished for her. "We can head back in a few minutes. I'm still trying to work things through, but I can't with everyone else around."

Emma nodded in understanding and then spoke again saying, "I'm so sorry about the Jolly Roger. I know how much your ship meant to you."

The Captain smiled sadly as he replied, "It's all right. She was only a ship. A few planks of wood and a sail. She may have served me well for a couple of centuries, but what's important is that I'm still here… I suppose."

"Of course that's what's most important," she quickly responded as she tightened her grip on his hand, then wrapped her other hand around his neck so she could run her fingers through his hair. "Please tell me what's wrong, Killian. Please don't begin doubting yourself again because of what's happened. You've come so far to put your past behind you. Is this about why someone is trying to kill you, or about Liam coming back?"

"How many times can one person cheat death?" Killian answered despondently while looked away and lowered his head. "Even when I finally did die, I was pulled out and brought back to a life far too old to begin with. Not that I'm not grateful to you and our family for coming down to the Underworld, because I truly am. It's just that I should have remained there and today reminded me of this fact. Not to mention the rest of the times I've nearly died since I've returned. Like ending up in Neverland again and nearly burned at the stake. I wound up there because of my sin and now… Today, I placed our boy and Violet in harm's way. Nearly got them killed. If something happened…"

Before her husband could continue, Emma tenderly laid a finger over his lips as she interrupted, "Nothing did happen to them. You nearly died because you fought whoever those assailants were long enough for them to make their way back to shore so they could warn us of the danger. You protected them. Killian, if you're thinking that your near death experience with the Lost Boys, or nearly being killed today is because death, or fate… or whatever the hell it is that decides when we are meant to die is sick and tired of being cheated by you, you're wrong. I can't explain how I know it, I just do. You're just a survivor. You always have been. We have all changed our own fates because we weren't willing to accept what was written for us. And even if I thought for one minute you might be right, I still would have made the choice to save you from the Underworld. You're a good man, who deserves a life with the woman who loves him and not some hell forced upon you by an angry God. As for Henry and Violet… it isn't your fault. They were only in the wrong place at the wrong time."

He shook his head and then replied, "It's not only them I'm concerned about. Everyone here is in danger because heaven only knows who it was I wronged this time, or what they have planned."

"You don't know that whoever this is, is here because you wronged him," she responded in concern when her husband's brow deepened out of frustration. "For all we know, this is all one big misunderstanding. Maybe these assailants are being led by some new villain trying to rise up to threaten all of us."

"And they just so happened to arrive here in another pirate ship, as they targeted the Jolly Roger first?" her husband questioned skeptically.

Emma shrugged while she answered, "You were out on the ocean when they arrived. It's possible you were just a target of opportunity. But then, you do have a point. The chances that you're not who they're after are slim. Which is why I need you to stay close so we can protect you."

Killian nodded and then continued, "And now Liam's returned. I couldn't be happier for another chance to see him again. But his coming here could cause him to pay a high price. I wasn't eavesdropping, but I could help overhearing the last part of your conversation earlier at Granny's. I told you while we were down in the Underworld that Liam had sacrificed himself to help our old crew to be able to move on. But what I didn't tell you was that he also did so to save me from anymore of Hades' torment. Liam sacrificed himself for me too and Hades threw him into that boiling sea for it. I struggled to hold onto his hand with my own, but he kept me from falling in with him by letting go. I thought he was gone, that Liam had fallen into that 'worse place' and my heart broke. Thankfully his sacrifice was enough for Zeus to save my brother as the God saved me and granted Liam a second chance to redeem himself of his sins. If him coming here now to protect me again has consequences for violating the deal made between him and Zeus, or the Gods have trouble seeing messing with fate wrong, Liam could be pulled right back into that fiery pit again at any moment. I can't lose my brother again to that kind of eternal torment, Emma. I'm not sure I could bear it."

"We will protect him," the Savior replied sadly, then pulled the man she loved close as she wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly against her chest when she saw the devastation in his eyes and the tear that slipped down his cheek. "We will do everything in our power to make sure that doesn't happen. But if we fail… Killian I promise you we will be here to help you through it. Try not to think the worst and have hope that everything's going to be alright."

"I would not be so sure of that," a man who spoke with a deep voice and a thick accent then retorted as a dart suddenly appeared out of nowhere, striking Emma in her neck and caused her to collapse unconscious in her husband's arms. "Hello again, Captain Hook. It has been a long time."

Killian held Emma tightly against himself to try to protect her while he raised his head to glare up at the villain who appeared before them, followed closely by four other men all with their weapons drawn. At first, the leader of this band of pirates only looked vaguely familiar to Killian, until what the brute said next made him remember exactly who the man was. Except when Killian knew him years ago, this villain was much younger and not quite as large in stature. The brute stood over Killian and the woman in his arms with a cruel sneer on his face.


	14. Chapter 14

Dead Reckoning

Chapter Fourteen

Thirty-two years earlier…

Once the Jolly Roger was finished being loaded up and had begun on its way out of Neverland, Hook walked down below deck and into the brig to have a talk with the prisoner within. The fifteen year old brute had to be locked in shackles and then bound tightly by thick ropes before he was thrown into the cell by the Captain's men when he was brought onboard in order to prevent him from being able to break loose and breakdown the door on account of his size.

"You know, I've got to say I'm quite impressed," Hook said smugly when he appeared in front of the cell and turned to face the first Lost Boy to have been banished by Pan for the lack of loyalty. "Not because you thought you could actually win, but because you were actually brave enough to make a stand against Pan. It was foolhardy mind you, but brave. The truth is, you were beaten before I ever walked into that camp. And even if you did kill me in that fight, Pan would have beaten you down one way or another. That demon always wins. Why do you think I've done my best to try to avoid him and the rest of you imps?"

"Someone had to try," Badrick answered quietly without raising his head to look up at the man who had beaten him in their duel. "You may defy Pan, but you are only in this war against him for yourself. You care about no one and nothing else."

Hook glared at the boy as he retorted angrily, "I cared about two people in my life. And they were both taken from me. One of them died partly because of your former ruler and the other is the reason why I've lived the last two centuries trapped on this cursed island. Everything I've done is to avenge them. So, don't tell me I don't care for anything else."

The fifteen year old finally looked into the pirate's eyes as he replied, "Maybe so. If you have come down here to offer me a job among your crew, you can forget it. I would sooner die than to fight this war of yours alongside you."

"I didn't come down here to offer you a place among my crew, or anything else of the sort," the pirate Captain responded coldly. "I wanted to inform you I planned to simply drop you off once we reach Longbourn when we stop for supplies. You might have had a chance to be a free man. However, I think that is much too generous for a brute such as yourself. I have a better place in mind that's far better suited for those of your stature. The Longbourn Mining Quarry is always looking for strong young men just like you."

"Do with me as you will, Captain," Badrick sneered cruelly. "One day, perhaps we will meet again. And on that day, we shall see who of us is the stronger man."

Back at Granny's…

The heroes continued to talk amongst themselves while they waited for Emma and Killian to return. The owner of the diner continued to serve them drinks and finally lunch, though Liam and his men who were now ghosts declined because the food and drink of this world were of no sustenance to them on account of them being long dead. The older Jones was talking with Archie and Grumpy until all of a sudden, a strong sense of dread came over him. However, it wasn't his own distress Liam felt, but that of his brother's and Liam knew Killian was in trouble.

When Liam slowly rose to his feet again while he struggled to make sense of what he was feeling, David noticed the concern on his face as he stood too and asked, "Liam… are you alright?"

Everyone stopped talking as they all turned to their friend's older brother who then answered worryingly, "Killian's in danger. Perhaps Emma too. I don't know how or why, but he is. I have to find him."

"Wait!" David quickly called out to him as he reached out to grab Liam's arm to hold him back, as the rest of his crew moved to gather around their Captain. "Do you know how to find him? I mean, you clearly found him when you first arrived to save him from the wreckage of his ship, but…"

"Allow me," Regina said when she stood from the table and then flicked her wrist to conjure a mirror in her hand so they could look for where Killian and Emma were in that moment. "I haven't really spied on anyone in quite awhile. It feels kind of strange now."

Henry raced around his adopted mother to look at the images that appeared over the glass and replied, "It looks like they're somewhere in the cemetery. Killian's fighting against some big brute. I don't even see Mom."

David looked at Liam and then responded, "Let's go. These men want a fight, they'll get one."

Meanwhile…

"I am glad you survived our attack on the ocean," Bishop continued coldly as he loomed over Killian, who was still kneeling on the ground while he held his wife within his arms. "This way, we can continue our battle that began thirty-two years ago in Neverland. Shall we see who of us is the stronger man?"

"Badrick?" Killian uttered strangely while he glared up at his assailant above him, then gently laid Emma on the ground so he could stand to defend her and himself against the men slowly surrounding them as he carefully lowered his hand over the hold of his gun, having lost his cutlass when his ship was destroyed. "You've gotten older. And perhaps even bigger than the last time I saw you."

The brute smiled, then answered smugly, "I go by Bishop now. And you still look the same as you always did. Hardly a day older."

Hook shrugged as he replied, "Neverland isn't the only way to retain one's youth, but my time since our last meeting isn't important. You really want to fight against me again, then let's fight. But this town and the inhabitants in it have done nothing against you. Please just leave them be."

"So, Captain Hook has hardly aged a day older, yet he has grown to become sentimental and weaker than I believed before," the former Lost Boy sneered, then pulled out what appeared to be an ancient steel brand from the scabbard he still wore on his back to carry his axe. "Worry not about your woman. It was nothing more than a blow dart from the island."

"No!" Killian shouted when he turned his head as two of the brute's men moved to stand over Emma so they could lift her body off the ground and immediately pulled his gun, until one of the other men shot the weapon from his hand before he could fire off a single round.

The moment Killian became distracted, Bishop immediately rushed his enemy to attack him using his bare fists after he handed the brand over to his right-hand man to hold until it could be used. The men then carried Emma off to take her back to their ship as their prisoner and her husband could do nothing to help her.

Killian struggled against Bishop as he used his hook to defend himself against the sudden onslaught, then the bigger man pulled one of the daggers from his belt and the two men fought until Killian was finally knocked down to the ground on his knees. Before he could lift himself back up, the remaining men aside from the crew's first mate grabbed their target by his arms and pinned him down in front of their leader. Without hesitating, the brute then wrapped his big hands tightly around his enemy's throat and began to squeeze.

When Hook slowly began to lose consciousness, the former Lost Boy finally released him and shoved down hard against the ground, then ordered his men to lift Killian back onto his knees and to rip open the pirate's shirt so that his chest would be bare for what came next. While they did so, Bishop swiftly grabbed the steel brand from his friend's hands and without having to stoke it within a fire, he suddenly forced it down against his chest causing Killian to scream in sheer anguish as the brand burned hot against his skin.

Magic within the steel began to flow through the weapon into Killian's body while his pain heightened until the brute finally released his enemy, allowing Hook to collapse heavily against the ground, then Bishop spoke up again cruelly saying, "This steel consists of magical properties, as its fire now burning within your chest will guarantee a slow and agonizing death which cannot be healed by any magic that can be found here in this strange world. I attacked you in haste before when I destroyed your ship. But this way, is much better. It is a gift… from yet another enemy you made long ago in Neverland. You may have killed Rufio when you thrust your sword through his heart, but his shadow still lives. He wanted an equal hand in your death and I gladly agreed. His shadow recognized my need for vengeance and while I cannot kill Pan no longer, killing you will help to appease my thirst for that need. This is my reckoning, Captain Hook."

Killian remained against the ground writhing, his eyes becoming dark as he struggled to see in front of him, but he managed to gather enough strength despite his pain to lift his head and then pronounced, "If an… anything happens to my wife… If you hurt… ah! … hurt her in anyway, I... will ki… kill you."

The brute grabbed Killian again by the front of his jacket and forced him up so that their faces were only inches apart as Bishop responded coldly, "You will try. But you will fail on account of your weakness."

"Let my brother go!" Liam shouted as he and his men, David, August, Leroy, and Anton all charged against the pirate crew fighting for Killian's assailant, which allowed for Bishop and his closest friend to disappear in the attack after the large man released his hold on his enemy once again. "Killian!"

"Hook," Charming whispered to him in concern, managing to reach his son in law first and gently pulled Killian against him upon seeing his body trembling, then he saw the cause when he saw the strange branding burned into his chest. "Hold on. We'll get you to… Where's Emma? What happened?"

Liam knelt down on the other side of his brother and saw as David saw, taking Killian's hand in his own while Killian tightly squeezed his eyes closed to help quell his pain, then answered weakly, "They took her. Emma… they took… They took her. You nee… need to find… her."

The older Jones looked down at his brother in fear, then he raised his head so he could look at David as he stated, "Take care of Killian for me. My men and I will find that bastard and save your daughter. They can't hurt us. I promise you, we'll get her back."

"Liam?" Killian then uttered strangely after David simply nodded his response to the older brother's plea, and they both turned their eyes back down on wounded man within their arms while he struggled to clear the darkness in his eyes. "David… I can't… I can't see."

"We're going to get you to the hospital for now," the Prince said quietly as he looked up at their friends now surrounding them and motioned to Anton to pick Killian up so he could carry him for them. "Just hang in there."

Before the giant could lift their friend into his arms, Killian weakly managed to re-open his eyes more widely and when he did, they found his eyes were now milky white, indicating that whatever the brute had done to him caused their friend to become blind. Unfortunately, his consciousness faded seconds later as Killian's eyes suddenly rolled back in his head and his head lolled to his side. Anton immediately lifted him up and started walking back towards town while David looked at Liam again, patted his shoulder, then quickly followed after their friend. Liam looked between his own men as they nodded by way of showing they were ready to join him against the villains who attacked their Captain's brother, then together they ran off to chase after them and to find the Savior before she could be harmed.


	15. Chapter 15

Dead Reckoning

Chapter Fifteen

When the men rushed out of the diner, Violet looked over at her father as if wondering if he was going to help them fight against the invaders to save their friend, but when she saw he wasn't planning to move, she turned and stormed out the back door. Sir Morgan quickly turned his head to Regina and with only a simple nod of her head, the former knight understood he really needed to have a talk with his daughter. He knew that his sixteen year old girl was disappointed in him because she had begun to see him as a coward. Henry had started to go until Regina laid a hand on his shoulder as Morgan left to do so himself.

He finally found her at the stables where they kept her horse a short time later, knowing it was the one place she loved most in both Storybrooke and back when they were still living in Camelot. She loved her horse more than anything and simply being near him was usually the only thing that could cheer her up until her boyfriend came into her life. Sir Morgan realized it's been a long time since he's been the one to be able to be that for her.

He made sure that Violet knew he was there as he approached her so he wouldn't startle her, then he spoke up saying, "I'm sorry, Violet. I know you've been disappointed with me for a long time now."

Without turning around to look at him while she brushed and stroked Nicodemus, she quietly replied, "I'm not disappointed in you, daddy. I'm just disappointed. I know how much losing Mom hurt you and I understand that you blame magic, which is why you had begun to turn your back on being a knight of Camelot. Why you've been wanting to return home in Connecticut. But I really love it here. And I still think magic is beautiful. Or at least it can be."

"But do you know what's bothering me the most?" she continued when she finally did turn around to face him. "It's that you fear of magic prevented you from going after the others to help one of our friends. A man who nearly died once today trying to protect me and you haven't even taken a moment to thank him yet. You might not even get the chance to now."

"You're absolutely right," the knight responded sadly, reaching out his hand beneath the horse's head to feed him an apple that Morgan had pulled out from his coat pocket. "I do owe Hook my gratitude and more. I don't know what I would have done if I ever lost you. And while you were threatened because of another villain rising up to take all the others' place, I also realize now that I can't keep blaming what I fear on our friends, in the world we live in, or even on magic itself. We only have the right to blame those who are threatening us. You helped me to see that, Violet. Thank you."

She smiled at him sadly as she answered, "That's great, but we're still moving. Aren't we? Just because there's no magic in Connecticut, it doesn't mean something bad won't happen to me."

He sighed and then replied, "I told you I was still considering it. Would moving away really be so bad?"

"You said it yourself, you didn't like it before you found yourself in Camelot," the teenager responded in frustration. "You said it was boring, which is why you dreamed of having your own adventure. And you found it, daddy. But now it's my time to have my own adventure and I think I'm old enough to seek it out. I might not find it here in Storybrooke, or if I were to return to Camelot. However, I'm pretty sure that I won't be able to find it in a land without magic either. Staying here for now is the best chance that I'm going to have to find what I'm looking for. Besides, I don't want to leave school and especially not Henry. I know you want what's best for me, but please… don't let your fear prevent me from my own adventure."

"Forgive me, Sir… Violet…" Henry then uttered after he cleared his throat when he walked into the stable. "I don't mean to interfere. It's just that I think I might have some advice that might help you both when you finally decide what's right for you. Actually, it's not my advice, or even given to me. It was Hook's, to my mom. I read about all about their adventure into the past in their story in the storybook. It was back when we were all still cursed without our memories of the missing year I told you about some time ago, except for them of course. Mom really struggled with wanting to stay here with all the magic and evils that exist here. She wanted to move back to New York. Is it all right if I explain?"

Sir Morgan smiled at the Author as he answered, "I'd be honored to listen to any advice you have to offer, young knight."

 _Henry nodded and went on to share the advice Emma had shared with him after she heard it from Killian, who once told her with sincerity, "_ _Magic is a part of you, Swan. Don't forget… I was there when Cora tried to steal your heart. I saw the power inside of you. It's about time you embraced it. It's what makes you the Savior."_

 _"I'm not embracing anything," Emma defiantly replied. "I need to learn magic to defeat Zelena and make sure everyone here is safe. After that, I'm done."_

 _"Done with what, exactly?" he asked in confusion._

 _She quickly looked back at Henry, then turned to Killian again while she responded, "He doesn't belong here… Not anymore. He belongs in the real world, in New York, and the life that he remembers. It was good. And it didn't involve vile villains."_

 _Hook looked at the woman he loved strangely as he asked curtly, "What about the life you remember? You can't just pretend like this never happened. Trust me. I spent the last year trying to do just that… Return to the person I used to be… And it didn't work."_

 _"Why?" the Savior questioned. "What happened over the last year that you're not telling me?"_

 _"It matters not," he quickly answered. "Just take it from me just this once. No matter how much you wish you could go back to your old life… You can't."_

Henry paused a moment before continuing on as he added, "My mom wasn't ready to accept his advice just yet. She was too stubborn and she also denied her feelings for Killian even longer than my grandparents denied their own feelings towards one another. But then she finally understood what he was trying to say after they both became stuck in the past and had to fight to bring Snow White and Prince Charming back together again."

 _The seventeen year old went on again as he talked about part of the conversation between Emma and Killian when they had been trapped down in the vault beneath Rumplestiltskin's castle as Emma tried to deny she could get them home until Killian retorted, "But you can. All he said we need is magic. You're the Savior, Swan. You can do it."_

 _"Not anymore," she replied in frustration. "I lost it."_

 _"When Zelena died, all of her spells were undone," he responded more sternly. "Your powers should've been restored."_

 _Emma stated him angrily, "Believe me, if I could make it work, I would. You think I'm faking it?"_

 _Hook answered brusquely, "I think not having magic makes it a hell of a lot of easier for you to run back to New York and pretend to be somebody else. But listen to me, Swan. You're not. It's time to stop running."_

 _"You think I don't know that?" she asked in frustration. "Yes, I run away. That's how I always survived. But believe me, I want this to work. I want to go back. I want to stop running."_

 _"What's changed your mind?" the Captain questioned strangely, as he didn't understand her sudden change of heart._

 _The Savior softened as she looked at Killian sadly while she replied, "Watching my mother die. Thinking she was dead… You saw what happened. I was so relieved when she was okay. And I hugged her. And you know what I saw in her eyes? Nothing."_

 _Emma's voice broke as she continued on, "She didn't know who I was. I had saved her and lost her, too. And that's what I've been doing to her since I met her. It's got to stop. When Henry brought me to Storybrooke, he told me I was the Savior. I didn't see what he was really doing. He was not bringing me back to break a curse. He was bringing me home."_

"What are you saying?" Sir Morgan asked when Henry then finished.

"I think that what I'm trying to say is, Mom didn't allow her fear determine her life for her any longer and Killian helped her to see that," Henry responded confidently. "It's a big reason why she loves him so much. If you really want to know what's right for you… If you no longer want to allow fear to stand in your way of living the life you are meant to live, then trust in your heart and in the people around you who love you. Ask them advice on how they cope with the struggles that come with living here surrounded by magic and danger. Maybe Storybrooke isn't the right place for you and if it isn't, then go out in the world to find it. You'd be amazed what you discover about yourself along the way."

Violet leaned forward and kissed Henry's cheek as she answered, "That's really good advice, Henry. Thank you."

Sir Morgan smiled, then added, "Very good advice indeed. You are very wise, Henry."


	16. Chapter 16

Dead Reckoning

Chapter Sixteen

"Look at what we've caught, gentlemen," one of Bishop's men jeered smugly, looking down at the beautiful blonde still unconscious within his arms as he and a few of the other pirates returned aboard their ship which was tucked safely near the town's cliffs and out of sight of any of the folk who lived there. "We've got ourselves that pirate's woman. We're going to finally have ourselves some fun tonight!"

"Only if we can repair enough of the damage caused by that filthy pirate we've come to kill so we can return to Neverland," another of the crewmen responded more curtly, as he and the rest of them all raised their heads to look up at the top of the main mast that was now split in two, the upper half hanging loosely within the twisted riggings just before it had struck the deck in the attack. "If we try to enjoy ourselves before the work is done, Bishop will have our heads."

Another of them asked, "How are we supposed to fix this ship well enough to sail all the way back to the island? Without a main mast, we won't get any further than the little we've managed to come already just so we can hide. The damage is too extensive and it would take weeks to repair what's been done. Weeks, we clearly don't have. I say we just steal ourselves another ship and leave while we can, before we can be discovered."

Most of the men nodded in agreement when the first crew member to speak up replied, "The only problem is, I'm guessing we just destroyed the only ship here in this strange world. There didn't appear to be any others within the harbor. Just smaller boats. What are Bishop's orders now?"

"We may not have a ship to return to Neverland in, but I'm certain our Captain has a plan to get us back there," the second answered confidently. "Until he returns, we are to continue to do what he wanted us to do. Bring Hook's woman down to the brig. We can have fun with her so long as she's still unconscious anyways."

"That's no way to treat a lady, especially one who's far above the likes of you," a voice responded strongly, when the pirates all turned to face the stranger who spoke as he boarded their ship without permission to do so, followed closely by several other members of his own crew. "You will lay her down gently and back away, or my men and I will charge and lay waste to this vessel just as you did to my brother's ship, and send all of you to a place I don't believe you'll enjoy quite as much as this world, or your own. Do it now!"

One of the pirates glared at the newcomer while he raised a pistol from his belt, then replied, "We outnumber you and your men. What makes you think you can come aboard our ship and threaten us?"

Liam looked between the crew standing with him and smiled, then he turned back to the man who spoke up for the others before them as he answered, "Because… you can't kill a dead man, which we just so happen to be."

More than one of the pirates fired off a shot to try to kill the invaders, but like their Captain had claimed, the musket balls struck their targets and yet they did no damage, as Liam and his men suddenly charged the pirates. The man still holding the Savior within his arms immediately laid her down on the deck as the battle began. The force from which he had done so jarred Emma awake as she struggled to regain her bearings, but when she saw Liam and his men fighting against men she didn't recognize onboard a ship, she quickly stood and rushed forward to join with her husband's brother.

"What the hell is going… on?!" she asked Liam curtly as she struggled against one of the pirates until she managed to shove him over the ship's side, stealing his sword from the man's hands as she did so, then went on to fight against another.

"Exactly what it looks like," the former Captain of the Royal Navy responded smugly as he ran his own cutlass through another of the men's chest as the pirate attempted to kill Emma from behind her. "We've come to rescue you. Unfortunately, the leader of these bastards doesn't appear to have returned from attacking you and Killian."

Emma quickly looked around for any sign of her husband and when she didn't see him, she asked worryingly, "Where is he? Killian… Why isn't he here?"

The older Jones fought off a man who thrust a dagger through his shoulder and when the smaller blade failed to kill the ghost like all the rest of the pirates' attempts to do so, Liam swiftly pulled it out of his form to kill his attacker, then he turned back to his brother's wife again as he replied sadly, "He was hurt after you were knocked unconscious. But your father and the others are taking care of him. I believe they said he was taking him to a place called… a hospital? Let's finish this battle quickly and then find my brother."

"I couldn't agree more," she answered, knocking another of the pirates overboard.

When she had a moment between her assailants, the Savior moved into the center of the ship's deck while she closed her eyes to concentrate and then summoned her magic within her to begin pulling apart the ship around her and her friends plank by plank, just as she had seen Regina do to the bridge so long ago as the former Evil Queen had helped her train in magic. Most of the pirates who still lived jumped overboard themselves in fear, while others fell through the floorboards before they could flee. Finally, the battle was over and Emma, as well as Liam and his men remained floating on the planks above the water beneath them.

"Take care of those who were killed here," the older Jones said quietly when he turned to his own right-hand and a few of the other men with him, while Emma made her way back to the shore using the wood beneath her feet to float her there. "Make sure they get to where they belong within the Underworld, or help them to move on if they can. Then return here as soon as you can."

The crewman nodded as he responded, "We'll be back soon. Be careful, Liam."

The Captain smiled and then replied, "I always am."

In the distance, from the cliffs' surface, no one saw Bishop and the remainder of his men standing there watching as the battle below took place. Nor did they see Rufio's shadow as it floated around the pirates he had joined with in order to get its own revenge. Upon their arrival in Storybrooke, the entity separated from Bishop in order to observe the strange new land they found themselves in, but upon overhearing Liam mention he was coming to rescue the woman the pirates had taken prisoner, it flew off to find Bishop in order to warn him not to return to his ship.

"I did warn you not to attack Hook earlier and this is what happens when you don't listen to me," the shadow stated angrily. "You could have ruined everything!"

"Perhaps so, but it still worked out," the brute answered coldly after he finally turned away and started walking back towards town where they hoped to be able to find someplace to hide until they could leave. "I used the steel brand on Hook just as we planned to do."

The entity followed as it responded, "You're lucky he was rescued from the ocean by his ghost brother. If he hadn't, all of this would have been for nothing. You know how important that steel you hold in your hand is. Without it, you wouldn't have been able to be restored to the child you were when you were banished. And I wouldn't have been able to have my own vengeance against Hook."

Bishop glared up at the shadow as it flew above his head and then replied, "At least Hook would have been dead either way. But it is as you said, all is not lost. I have branded him and now it is only a matter of time before we both have what we want."

Meanwhile, inside Storybrooke's hospital…

Dr. Whale was treating another of his patients who had a deep laceration in the palm of her hand from cutting it open with a knife when David and several others rushed into the emergency room with their severely wounded friend among them. The doctor immediately grabbed one of his nurses to take over stitching up the cut, then rushed forward to help the pirate as he struggled to get between the men while they continued to carry Killian inside and into an empty room so he could find out what was wrong with him.

"Other than the cuts and bruises you can see, doc… we're not sure what's wrong with him," David called out with concern for his son-in-law in his voice while he rushed alongside Killian and Anton to keep close by. "He was attacked by some magical artifact. Oh, and it made his eyes turn milky white. He said he couldn't see."

"Did you witness the attack?" Whale asked the Prince, who wasn't really his friend, but whom he had finally been able to put his disdain for behind him as David had done as well. "Did Hook tell you anything else that could help me figure out the cause of whatever this is faster?"

August answered quickly, "We only arrived at the tail end of the fight between Hook and this big brute. Whatever the villain used to burn Hook's chest with, it happened before we could get there."

After they carefully laid Killian down on the bed as they entered his room, Dr. Whale leaned over him and carefully pulled back Hook's jacket and the now tattered shirt he was wearing to get a better look at the strange burn over his chest as the seared edges glowed a bright green and he nodded, then responded, "It looks like this brute branded him. But you're right about whatever was used having magical effects."

"I'm not sure if they'll be anything I can do about whatever's going to happen to him because of it, but I will certainly do my best to treat him in any way I can," Whale continued as he quickly pulled his stethoscope from around his neck, then used it to listen to his patient's chest and heard how dangerously fast and erratic his heart was beating. "This isn't good. I'm going to need to get the machines in… Unless you can get Emma or Her Majesty to heal him?"

"Emma's been taken by the men who attacked them," David replied worryingly as he kept his eyes trained on Killian. "But she'll be here soon. Others are helping her. I'll call Regina."

All of a sudden, the Queen and David's wife, with Neal in her arms, appeared within a cloud of purple smoke among them, then immediately answered, "There's no need. I'm here. What the hell happened out there?"

Grumpy shook his head as he responded, "We don't really know, Your Majesty. Most of the fight happened before we could get there to help Hook."

"Can you help him?" David asked their friend with concern as Snow wrapped her arm around her husband while she continued to hold their son in the other. "There was some kind of magic used to brand him with."

"I'll certainly try," Regina replied quietly as she stepped forward and leaned down over their friend while everyone else stepped back, then slowly waved her hand over Hook's body like she would do to heal him and to see what might be causing his pain.

However, she let out a deep sigh of frustration and then raised herself upright to look at David as she spoke again saying, "Unfortunately, my magic isn't enough for whatever this is. If we knew who these men were who attacked Hook, or where they're from, then maybe we would have more to go on. I just know that I've never seen anything like this branding. Did he manage to tell you anything before you brought him in here, or lost consciousness?"

David ran his hand through his hair and tightened his grip around Snow, then answered, "Only that it caused him to become blind. His eyes are clouded over. He also begged us to help Emma, who was taken."

"Killian!" the Savior shouted as she suddenly came charging into the room that had once occupied her father when she first arrived in Storybrooke years ago, followed closely by Liam and two of the men still with him, then Emma leaned down over her husband to see for herself what happened to him, roaming her hands over him to try to heal him as Regina had done. "What happened? Why aren't my powers healing him?"

"None of us know what happened out there," her father responded in frustration. "We all arrived too late and you were already gone before we did."

Emma reached up to the puncture mark left behind in her neck as she replied, "I was struck with something in the neck. It must have been some kind of blow dart. Killian told me once that the Lost Boys use them to knock their prey out before they attack. Tiger Lily too."

With surprise, Snow quickly stated, "The Lost Boys? Neverland. Whoever these enemies are, they must have come from Neverland."

"It makes sense," David continued in understanding. "Hook spent over two hundred years there. He made a lot of enemies. Any one of them could be a part of this pirate crew. He also brought us back to that island when Henry was taken by Greg and Tamara, and Pan eventually was killed in the fallout. This brute and his men might have come here to avenge that demon and see Hook as the man most responsible."

"Killian also nearly died in Neverland when he was trying to make his way back home to us just before we were married," the Savior added angrily. "They may definitely have come from Neverland, but we don't know the reason why they're here now. And it doesn't matter why. What does matter is finding a way to help Killian. The only person who knows anything about Neverland other than Killian is Gold. We need to talk to him. His powers might even be strong enough to heal him when ours can't, even if I don't condone him using the darkness for anything."

Liam looked over at his brother's wife darkly while he questioned skeptically, "The darkness? You mean this… Gold you speak of, he's the Dark One? The same Dark One who tormented Killian for over two hundred years, then took away his one chance to destroy the darkness once and for all?"

Emma looked into his eyes worryingly as she answered, "Yeah. He is. But believe me, things are different now. Gold isn't the villain he used to be anymore. He's trying to be a good man and his wife has brought him a long way. Killian's seen this and he's been able to let go a lot of the hate for Rumplestiltskin go. Liam, I know this might be difficult to understand right now, but trust me… he might be the only one who can help Killian now."

"While you guys figure out what you're going to do, I'll work on trying to make Hook as comfortable as I can and treat the damage done to him that I can treat," Dr. Whale interjected before anything else could be said, then stepped around everyone to get to work.

"Thank you, Whale," Emma responded and leaned down to kiss Killian's lips before they left as she tenderly laid her hand over the right side of his face, then whispered into his ear. "I promise you, we'll be back. We're going to get the men who did this to you, I swear. We will save you just like we always have. Just please don't leave me. Do you hear me?"

Snow smiled sadly at the love her daughter showed for her own husband and then she replied, "Don't worry. You, David, and Liam go and talk with Gold. I'll stay here with anyone else and if anyone attacks…"

Regina cut in saying, "If anyone attacks, we'll fight them off and apprehend them if we can. We won't let any more harm come to Hook."

"Thank you all," Liam then answered, touched by the entire town's compassion for his brother and their devotion to protecting him. "My brother is in even better hands than I believed him to be. My own men ought to be returning soon from their own mission I sent them on. They will help you to look after Killian for me."

"If these other pirates have magic like this, then we'll certainly take all the help we can get," Snow White said with a smile, then everyone watched as Emma, Liam, and David left to speak with the man who was still the Dark One despite his denial of the darkness' power.


	17. Chapter 17

Dead Reckoning

Chapter Seventeen

On the day the Snow Queen cast the curse of shattered sight…

 _Hook stood within the harbor when Gold appeared and sat down beside him while the Captain looked through his spyglass for passage out of Storybrooke, seeing an ice wall growing up on the sea, then Hook spoke up saying, "No fleeing by boat then."_

 _The Dark One stared out over the ocean as well while he answered, "This Snow Queen is good, isn't she?"_

 _"Sit, lad," he continued as he looked up at his enemy and pat the bench, knowing that the pirate would be forced to obey him, then did the same with the satchel on the ground beside him to taunt him while Killian glared out in front of them. "Don't forget where your heart lies. Now I have a job for you. You remember how this works."_

 _"The hat?" Killian questioned in confusion as Gold used his power to summon the Sorcerer's box until it suddenly dawned on him what he might be planning and immediately turned his head to face him. "Not Emma."_

 _Mr. Gold chuckled at Hook's sudden distress and then responded smugly, "No, no. Not this time. I have a better plan. Granny's Diner is being converted into a temporary hive for the vilest of creatures… the pious little fleas."_

 _Killian stated strangely, "Pious? The fairies?"_

 _"Just like any flying pests, if you wanna eliminate the infestation, it's important to get them all," the villain replied. "Doing so will infuse this hat with enough power to allow me to cleave myself from the dagger and then leave this town with my powers intact, a suddenly urgent undertaking. Now will you assist me?"_

 _"You have my heart," his enemy answered darkly as he turned away again. "You know I can't refuse."_

 _Mr. Gold laughed once more and said, "Indeed. But here's the rub, dearie. My wife has just called to inform me that she intends to spend the day sequestered amongst said fleas. So I need you to stand by while I get her out of the way."_

 _Hook worked his thoughts out in his mind as he spoke out loud saying, "The fairies are working to stop the spell."_

 _"You're killing the cure?" Killian added sternly as he turned back to Gold while he sat up to face him. "You do this, you condemn the entire town, and even your own grandson, to whatever happens."_

 _"No, I'm not leaving Henry," the Dark One responded. "I will take him and I will take Belle and I will leave this town to its fate."_

 _The pirate Captain derided him as he replied, "But Emma and everyone else…"_

 _Gold looked away as he sneered, "I don't have time for everyone else. And if I have to choose between everyone else and me… 'me' wins every time."_

 _"You can clench your jaw… and flash your eyes all you wish, because it doesn't change the fact… that we're in this together," the Dark One uttered cruelly as he waved his dagger over the box to bring out the magic hat while Killian simply glared at the man he hated more than anyone else._

"Still thinking about what we were talking about earlier?" Rumplestiltskin asked as he appeared before Gold once again after having left him earlier that morning to think on the ultimatum he left him with. "Or a bit of what we spoke of anyway. You're considering you past relations with the pirate and trying to decide what's really more important to you. Your power and the pleasure choosing the darkness can bring you, or being a weak old man completely whipped by his loving wife and infant son? From the memory you're currently recalling, you're wondering if you can once again have both. Don't try to deny it. Believe me, I know."

"I told you, I am not going to be the man I was before," Gold answered curtly as he slammed the book in his hands down against the glass case in front of him. "Stop trying to tempt me back into the life that nearly destroyed everything I had with Belle, because I allowed myself to believe having both was possible. You recall how Belle forced me across the town line that very afternoon and I lost her for six weeks. I won't go through that again. Just leave me alone!"

It was then Belle walked into the main room from within the back of the shop, carrying their son in her arms after they had both taken a nap, and she asked tiredly, "Rumple, are you alright? Who are you arguing with?"

Gold turned and walked over to his wife as he shook his head and responded, "No one. I assure you, I'm fine. I suppose I'm just a little stressed is all."

"Is this still because of what happened this morning at Granny's between you and Killian?" she asked quietly. "I hope you know I'm not expecting you to change overnight, or even completely. And I wouldn't want you to. Today, you took the first step in making amends with the man who has been your enemy for far longer than any of the rest of us who have been alive. I'm proud of you for that. You and Killian won't ever be the best of friends. Just promise me you won't allow one defeat to stop you from continuing to try. I know that he's really trying too."

"I know it," the beauty's husband replied. "But it isn't just that. Listen, there's something you need to know. Something… I should have told you when it first began."

Belle looked at him worryingly as she asked, "What's wrong? Rumple, you can tell me anything."

Rumplestiltskin, still standing behind Gold laughed and then answered, "Yes. Go on and tell the true love of your life that you're seeing me, the devil over your shoulder and that I'm attempting to get you to choose our darkness over her and Gideon. She'll think you're either going mad, or she'll realize that you will never change and turn once again to the heroes to seek advice about leaving you all over again."

"It's just… I'm not sure exactly how to…" Gold began to explain until he was suddenly cut off as Emma, David, and a stranger to their town entered the shop.

"Gold… we're sorry for barging in here, but we need your help," Emma said urgently said as she rushed forward to stand before him and Belle. "Killian's been hurt and we think it's from something only found in Neverland. He was attacked earlier by a group of pirates who started with destroying the Jolly Roger. Killian's unconscious so we can't even ask him what happened. Will you come back with us to the hospital? Please."

Rumple turned his head as if to look at his demon for advice as the illusion from his mind simply smiled haughtily, then he turned back to the Savior and responded, "Of course. Lead the way, Miss. Swan. But uh… who's this stranger?"

Emma looked between the Dark One and Liam nervously until she replied, "This is Liam Jones, Killian's brother. Liam, this is Mr. Gold. Please, we need to help Killian first. We'll explain everything else later."


	18. Chapter 18

Dead Reckoning

Chapter Eighteen

Down in the Underworld…

After the men in Liam's crew finished doing their duty by bringing Bishop's men who had died in their battle, having come from the cavern that either led to those who have died to move on or to be sent down to the Worse Place, they stopped within this world's equivalent to Storybrooke's Rabbit Hole for a brief drink before heading back up to continue to help their Captain. Though the dead couldn't actually enjoy the taste of alcohol or anything else they might have once enjoyed while alive, the act and pleasures of drinking was enough to help calm their nerves and frustrations.

"Well… if it isn't some of Zeus' oh so important emissaries, back from yet another hunt for more poor souls they can help move on to a far better place than this hell!" the establishment's newest bartender called out snidely while he stood behind the bar with a glass in his hands as he filled it with a drink for one of his other patrons down at the end of the bar when the crewmen walked inside. "What will it be this afternoon, gentlemen? Rum… or the poorest tasting whiskey this dump's got on tap?"

"That'll be enough of that, Mordred," Arthur replied calmly as he too then entered the tavern and made his way over to the pirates working under Liam's command. "Just go back to serving the rest of the patrons and leave us be to talk. Keep up with trying to influence those here trying to good for this world to join you in this foolish endeavor of yours, and I'll have you fired and brought to my dungeons where you can spend eternity instead."

The bartender glared at his former King and then uttered coldly, "I'm not so sure there's much of a difference to be honest."

Arthur ignored the man who had once been his knight until his death, as he turned back to the men before him and then asked, "So… where have you been? It's not like you or Captain Jones to ignore your duties, even it has only been less than a day."

"We just brought down a few souls and helped them move on to where they belong," one of the men answered with frustration. "Most of them fell into the Worse Place, while the rest of the crew chose to remain here after seeing what happened to the rest of their friends. They were vile men, Your Highness."

"Your duty is to be there for everyone who passes on so they know what to expect here when they arrive from the realms above," the King from Camelot responded sternly. "It's been brought to my attention that a few men and women have died and have arrived down here without being told what they should expect and helped to move on. Where is Liam now? Why hasn't he come back with you?"

One of the other crewmen spoke up saying, "We assure you, our Captain isn't trying to shirk in his duties. We all love our work. But something's come up. Something he couldn't ignore. We're helping him because the man we're trying to help above is the one who made it possible for us to move on. We owed him."

King Arthur looked between the men in confusion as he replied, "I don't understand. Are you saying that you're trying to help someone still living, remain among the living? But why? It is only your job to explain the afterlife to those who die and make sure the souls that make their way down here get to where they belong. Who is this man that your Captain would risk his own soul, as well as yours to keep from dying?"

"He's Liam's brother, Killian Jones," one of the Naval Captain's men answered in concern. "Someone up there is trying to kill him and we're trying to protect him."

"Killian Jones?" the Underworld's new ruler stated strangely, as he recognized the name even though it didn't dawn on him right away. "Isn't that… Liam's brother is Captain Hook? But Hook is already dead. He moved on from here some time ago. I was there with him when he did."

The same pirate shrugged and then responded, "It isn't for any of us to question Zeus' decisions. The King of the Gods is the one who decides where every soul who moves on end up in the afterlife. It was because the younger Jones helped the Savior to defeat Hades that he was rewarded by having his life restored so he can be with the woman he loves. Now, someone is trying to kill him again and Liam is trying to help the Savior and her family protect him, even if doing so angers the Gods. Can you really expect our Captain to turn his back on his own brother?"

The King stared off in front of him as he thought through what he was being told and replied, "Uh… no. I guess not."

"I suppose you better get back to him then," Arthur then continued when he broke out of his stupor and turned back to the men before him. "Look, I understand that all of you have done really well in your penitence and that you can't help everyone who passes on. It's my duty as this world's new leader as well. Go on. I'll try to help where I can should others arrive. But do tell Captain Jones to return as soon as he can. We don't know if there will be any consequences to him keeping his brother alive when it's his fate to die. I won't be able to protect Liam or any of you if the Gods don't like what's being done."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," one of the men said with sincerity, then he and the others all downed their drinks and walked out of the Rabbit Hole.

Once they were gone, Arthur sat down on one of the barstools and continued to stare in front of him while he fathomed with the idea that it could be possible to returned to his old life should the King of the Gods let it be so. However, his thoughts were disrupted again when someone fell drunkenly onto the seat beside him as she began to stroke her fingers along the King's arm.

As she did so, she asked, "Did you hear that, darling? Is it really true what those men were saying about there being an option of returning back to our old lives?"

He turned his head and glared at her as he answered coldly, "Not for someone the likes of you, Cruella. I think you know that."

"Ha!" the vile woman scoffed and then motioned to Mordred for another drink, to which he complied. "And that handsome, smoldering, sensual, no good for nothing pirate foolishly in love with the Savior is deserving of such a gift? How is that possible? Captain Hook was every bit as vile as the rest of us villains here. How is it he was worthy to be revived when the rest of us are still trapped in this hellhole?"

"Perhaps because he redeemed himself of his sins, even before he was sent here," Arthur responded and then stood up again to leave himself to avoid being bothered by Cruella any longer. "He didn't deserve to remain trapped here unlike you or I. Perhaps if you tried to be a better person, Cruella, you might just be able to move on from here. This world doesn't need the two of us trying to rule over it. Good night."

When the King left as well, Mordred reappeared before the villainess again with the drink she had asked for and set it down on the bar before her as he asked, "So is tonight going to be another night for one of your benders, after which you won't remember a damn thing that we talk about, eventually forcing me to kick you out again for… Or do you think we could have ourselves a real conversation about what we both just overheard?"

Cruella De Vil took a large drink from the champagne glass filled with gin and then replied, "It's a bit too early to say I think. How about you keep the gin coming and then we'll see, darling. You know that I think better with a few drinks in me."

"More like five or seven," the man before her answered snidely under his breath.

"I heard that," she responded curtly. "And you're absolutely right. Do try not to be too stingy with the alcohol."


	19. Chapter 19

Dead Reckoning

Chapter Nineteen

After Bishop and his men, who were still alive and not apprehended, then magically transported to this world's dungeons no doubt, fled from the cliffs upon watching their own ship be pulled apart piece by piece, they trudged through the woods surrounding the town until they finally came upon a cave deep within where they could remain hidden until they were ready to either attack the heroes again, or leave Storybrooke to return to Neverland where they belonged now that their reason for coming was complete.

Before any of the men could settle in or make themselves comfortable, the brute immediately ordered a few of them to collect wood for a fire and the rest to find food, but one of the pirates finally spoke up as he turned to their leader and asked, "What is your plan to get us out of this realm, now that we no longer have a ship to sail us all back to Neverland? We weren't supposed to get stuck here."

Bishop glared at the man who questioned him as he responded, "There is another way home and I will find it. These heroes did not trap themselves here without a way to return to where they truly belong."

"Nothing's definite, but this realm exists because everyone here was brought over in a dark curse created by the Evil Queen and they have been trapped here without a way back to the Enchanted Forest," Rufio's shadow retorted as it continued to hover above the men's heads. "I can fly back to Neverland right away and even take one of you with me if I wanted to be generous, but then that wouldn't really be fair for the rest of you, would it?"

"No one is leaving until Hook's body is dead at my feet," the brute answered before any of his men could say anything more.

The entity replied, "I couldn't agree with you more, my friend. But your men do make a good point. How do you plan to get back without my assistance? Or do you actually plan to leave everyone else here behind? Your haste to get your revenge led to this. If you had done what you came here to do in a subtler attack against our enemy, then your ship never would have been destroyed. Luckily for all of you, I've learned that the townsfolk are working on a crop of magic beans. If they can succeed in growing them, you'll have a way home."

Bishop raised his head to look up at the dark being above him and responded, "I have admitted my mistake in acting too hastily. I also realize we should not have taken Hook's woman prisoner. But you act as though you are without blame. You were supposed to remain with my ship to stand guard. If you had done your duty, those ghosts never would have been able to attack. Tell me, how is it you allowed yourself to be killed by Hook all those years ago? I was not there for the pirates' attack against our camp at the time. Pan sent me and a few others off to patrol the island. You said you sensed your death was coming. How?"

Rufio's shadow floated down so that he became eye level with the brute and his first mate as it answered, "Like you, I realized Pan wasn't the leader we all believed him to be. But unlike you, I knew he would soon discover my loyalty no longer was with him and knew that he would eventually try to have me killed, or banished. Pan always knew everything that happened in Neverland. So... I split myself from my shadow just to make sure that one day I'd be able to have my own revenge, on him or whoever he sent to kill me."

Bishop's right-hand cut in as he said, "So he set Hook up to kill you too?"

"No," the dark entity replied curtly. "Hook just so happened to attack our camp one night and was able to kill me with his sword when I tried to sneak up to kill him from behind. It wasn't of Pan's doing. It was simply a lucky kill for both the pirate and Pan. Which is why I never made an effort to kill Pan when my shadow became strong enough. Besides, he was too strong while he remained in Neverland. Even if I could have found a way to kill him, the island would have provided him and the Lost Boys a way to heal him. Then Hook left Neverland for good. I eventually found him here in Storybrooke, but he was too well protected by the men and women here who regard him as a hero. I couldn't have killed him on my own. I found it fortunate when you finally returned nights ago. The Lost Boys failed to kill Hook when they had a chance not so long ago, but at last he will suffer as he deserves to. And the heroes cannot help him."

"How did you come to learn of this ancient brand?" the brute asked when he spoke up again. "In all the years I lived on the island before being banished, I never knew of it. I thought I knew all there was to know of Neverland."

The crewmen sent out to gather the firewood returned carrying sticks and branches from the trees in their arms as the entity responded, "Trust me, you don't know our world as well as you think you do. Not even Peter Pan understood it completely. Nor did he understand that the shadow he claimed as his own wasn't completely devoted to him as he believed. It showed me how to find the brand days before these heroes captured it to get them home when they came here some time ago. Not so I could kill Pan then, but in case it was necessary to do so in the future. It turns out it wasn't needed. Because the boy's own son killed him first."

The first mate looked at the shadow as he asked, "Why would it want to kill Pan if it was so devoted to the boy?"

"Because, Pan had eventually become too arrogant," Rufio's shadow answered. "The island's first shadow no longer believed him to be the chosen leader Neverland deserved. It too was killed when they came here to Storybrooke. We cannot allow the same to happen to us."

"It will not come to pass so long as we continue to work together to see that Hook dies and then find our way back home," Bishop replied with confidence. "We will just have to steal ourselves a magic bean."


	20. Chapter 20

Dead Reckoning

Chapter Twenty

"So, you're the villain my brother calls the Crocodile?" Liam continued as though he hadn't heard Emma's plea to come with her now. "The reason Killian allowed himself to give into the darkness?"

"Look, I realize that Rumple caused Killian a great deal of pain which led to your brother becoming… well becoming Captain Hook, but Killian wasn't innocent the either," Belle said crossly in her husband's defense before Gold could speak. "I don't mean anything against Killian. He's become a very dear friend to me. But you have to understand that both your brother and Rumple are to blame for all the pain they've suffered back then. Killian was already a pirate by the time they met. The darkness was already inside of him."

Gold laid his hand gently over the small of his wife's back while he glared at the older Jones, who continued to keep his eyes trained coldly on him as well, then the darkness within him reared its head when Gold suddenly allowed it to overpower him as he sneered, "In case Hook didn't tell you of all the horrible things he's done… Liam, was it? Allow me to enlighten you. He was a worthless, vile human being who stole from me my first wife and attempted to steal the affections of my own son all those years ago too, because I wasn't much of a father myself back then. That was my fault. But when I made your brother regret trying to challenge me, he devoted two hundred years to revenge against me in an effort to kill me. His hate consumed him. His problems… including what's happening now, is of his own doing. He's still weak."

The vision of Rumplestiltskin laughed and grinned from behind Gold as Liam shoved the Dark One back against one of the display cases, then answered, "He's a better man than you could ever…"

"Enough!" Emma suddenly shouted angrily and shoved herself in between both men in order to force them apart, while David rushed forward and pulled Liam away from the smaller man. "What the hell are you doing?! Killian's life is at stake and right now all you both care about is this pissing match."

"Liam, your brother made mistakes, but he's not that man Mr. Gold sometimes still sees him as any longer," she continued in frustration as she turned to confront the older Jones. "He's a good man whom I love very much and right now he needs you as much as he needs me. But he also needs the man you're only seeing as his enemy too. So you need to let go of this sudden rage your feeling for the Dark One, and see him as the man he's tried very hard to become. For Killian's sake."

The older Jones bowed his head in shame, then the Savior turned to Gold and spoke to him as well saying, "And you… I don't know where this sudden hate for Killian came from again, but you need to reign it right back in and remember what you're trying to accomplish now. You need to remember you're the man whom your wife and son love very much and truly need you to be. You wanted to help Killian this morning. Now you can."

Gold looked back at the devil on his shoulder, who was grinning at him like the Cheshire Cat, then turned to his wife as she simply nodded, and finally turned to Emma as he somberly replied, "You're right, Miss. Swan. Lead the way."

A few minutes later, Emma ran again through the hospital's corridors so she could get back to Killian, followed closely by Liam and her father, while Gold walked behind them a bit slower. When she came to the room where her mother, Regina, Liam's men, and now Henry, as well as Violet and her father were all nearby standing guard to protect her husband for her while she was out, Dr. Whale was fastening a tube across the lower half of his face so that he would be able to breathe with more ease. However, he paused when his patient's wife entered the room and turned his head, looking at her as if waiting for permission to keep working.

"It's okay," she stated quietly as she made her way to Killian's side, then leaned over him while she ran her hand over his face and her fingers through his hair. "I take it there's been no change?"

"Not since you left twenty minutes ago," the doctor responded as he finished, then reached over to the machine measuring the pirate's vitals and turned it on. "Try not to worry too much. All I'm doing right now is being cautious. The tube beneath his nose is just to help him a little easier. The drugs I gave him are for the pain and the machines…"

Emma finished for him, "Are for exactly what they're meant to do. Gold's right behind me. He might be able to do more than we could."

Rumple walked in the room, as did Liam, Snow, and David, then the Dark One raised one of his hands over his former enemy and waved it over Killian just as Emma and Regina had done earlier. Before he said anything to those in the room waiting for answers, he carefully pulled up the hospital gown Hook was now dressed down in so that he could get a better look at the brand over Killian's chest and as he did so, both Emma and Snow gasped upon seeing the green sears appeared to have grown outward beyond the brand burned into his skin and into striations.

The Savior tightened her grip over her husband's hand as she sat down in the chair beside his bed, then she looked up at Gold as she asked curtly, "What's happening to him? Clearly not even your own magic can heal him and now these strange striations are growing and getting worse."

"Is it some kind of poison?" David questioned as he looked over at the man currently trying to heal his son-in-law. "Other than them being green in color and giving off a luminescent like glow, they look like the striations that come from dreamshade."

"Indeed they do," Liam uttered in concern, carefully sitting down on the end of the bed beside his brother's legs and then glanced up at the Dark One once more. "What are they? Emma said you know about Neverland almost as well as Killian. Can't you do something to help him?"

Gold looked around at those in the room, then kept his focus between Emma and Liam as he answered, "I barely spent any time in Neverland, but because Pan did what he did… I studied the island in books, maps, and everything else I could get my hands on with the intent of returning there one day to kill my father. Strangely enough, it turns out that all of that hard work was for nothing seeing I wound up killing him right here instead, then again down in the Underworld."

Emma sighed in frustration and then replied, "That doesn't help us any. What are you trying to get at?"

"What I'm trying to tell you, Miss. Swan, is that I'm afraid no magic from this world will be able to help your husband," Gold responded sternly as he summoned a book into his hand and used his powers to turn the pages until he found the one he was looking for, then handed the book down to the Savior to show her a sketching and description of the weapon causing Hook's pain. "And I sense blindness is the least of his problems, a mere side effect. This brute you said was Hook's attacker used an ancient brand made of steel containing magical properties only found on the island. These striations may look somewhat like the effects that come from dreamshade, but I assure you, it's much worse. This brand has restorative powers and anyone who wields it, using it against their enemies, will once again become young as my father became."

"What does that mean for Killian?" Liam asked. "What will it do to him?"

Before he could continue, David suddenly cut in as he told his daughter to look down at Killian upon seeing small streaks of white slowly begin to appear within his hair above his left ear while the black strands faded, then Rumple answered, "I'm afraid the youth being exerted into the assailant's body is slowly and painfully being drained from Hook's as we speak. In time his age will finally catch up to him."

Emma shook her head as she struggled to process what they were being told and then replied quietly, "But Killian is over two hundred years old."

"Precisely," he responded almost callously, though he didn't intend to sound as such. "By the time his youth fades and the years he spent in Neverland finally do catch up to his body, I fear the Captain will become nothing more than shriveled skin and brittle bones, which will break and turn to dust at even the slightest touch. And then… he'll die."

"No, there has to be something you can do to stop this… to save him!" the Savior answered angrily and then laid down over her husband gently as she reached her hand up to tenderly caress Killian's cheek, crying silently as she did so. "Please…"

Gold looked between the others again, including Liam, then he replied, "Unfortunately what little known about this ancient brand, doesn't include a way to cure the one suffering from its dark magic. I will do all I can and hopefully I can come up with a way to help him. But you should prepare yourselves to return to Neverland. Like I said, no magic in this world will cure him, if there's even a way."

Liam took his brother's hand and then responded steadfastly, "My ship can get us there if that's where we need to go. I hoped I would never again have to return to Neverland, but if doing so will save Killian… It isn't like I can die of dreamshade all over again. I don't care what it takes, even if I'm condemning my soul to do so. I did so once for my brother and yet I was saved because of our bond. I was saved because Killian helped me to forgive myself for being arrogant enough to believe I was the man who did no wrong as you told me Killian believed of me that night down in the Underworld, Emma. Sacrificing myself for him was the best thing I ever did and it took dying and centuries of being trapped down there to do it. I won't let him down."


	21. Chapter 21

Dead Reckoning

Chapter Twenty-One

After everyone else within the hospital room walked out to give Emma some time alone with Killian, David closed the door behind him and turned to Gold, then quiet enough so that his daughter wouldn't hear him, he uttered crossly, "Don't you think you could have been a little more subtle when you told Emma of what's about to happen to her husband?"

The shopkeeper turned around to face the Prince as he replied, "Subtlety never was one of the qualities I was good at. She asked what was going to happen to him and I answered. I do apologize if I was too harsh."

"You almost seem happy about what's happening to him," Regina responded sternly and crossed her arms while she looked at her former tutor in magic, then her eyes softened. "I'm sorry. That wasn't really fair. After all, you are trying and we all see your efforts. So, we should be prepared to return to Neverland again, is that right?"

"If there's a chance in saving Hook, then yes," Rumple answered and then handed the book over to the Queen as well so that those who weren't in the room before could have a look at the page too. "That is the weapon I believe was used to cause this. I take it heard what's about to happen then?"

Henry spoke up saying, "You have to find a way to help him, Grandpa. He can't die again, and not like this. Please."

The Dark One nodded as he replied, "Like I told your mother and Hook's brother here, I will do whatever I can. If Emma was right about one thing, it's that I owe it to my old enemy to make amends for all I've done to cause all his pain. He might not have been willing to accept his hand back, but I believe that was perhaps so I could do this for him instead."

"Do you have any solution that might be able to help him now?" Liam asked softly as he turned his head to look through the glass doors at his brother, while Emma remained lying next to him, tenderly caressing his face. "Now, temporarily I mean?"

"I'm afraid not, dearie," Gold responded with sincere concern. "The best I can tell you, is that I believe the burn caused by the brand can be healed. But you will need the very waters from the island used to cure David here of the dreamshade poisoning that nearly killed him. Which means you will need me to make up another dose of the elixir I created to cure the cure. That is if you can get past the Lost Boys without getting yourselves killed in the process. It will take me some time. I will leave you now so I can started. There's much to do and not much time to do it in."

Charming sighed in frustration, looked back at his daughter and son-in-law as well, as did Snow, then he said calmly, "I guess that means we need to decide which of us are going back to that island. I'll go. Hook saved my life that day when he didn't have to. I may have told him I was grateful and gave him a little credit, but I'm not so sure I ever really repaid him. Besides, I was with him when we climbed the cliff that led to the magical spring. I think I might be able to find it again."

Liam pulled up his sleeve to reveal a large scar left behind even after his death, along his left arm where he had cut himself with the dreamshade branch that had killed him and then he stated, "It may have been many years, but I will never forget anything about that day. Killian begged me not to do it. Pan appeared to us the moment we first landed on the island and told us dreamshade was poisonous. I didn't want to believe that our King would send us to Neverland to bring back a plant with the potential to kill thousands of people just so he could win the war we were fighting at the time and obliterate an entire race. Killian on the other hand saw the dangers and I was too much of a stubborn ass to listen to him. I learned very quickly I should have trusted my brother more, but it took nearly dying to see it. Killian saved me with those waters after Pan showed him the spring with a warning. Pan never reappeared so Killian could learn of the price that came with the cure. We left Neverland to return home with the intent of turning against our King, but I died shortly after. My death was my own fault, but Killian paid the real price and became a pirate because of me."

"My point to all of that is, I definitely remember where that spring is," the older Jones continued after he looked at his brother again sadly and turned to face the doors. "We won't have to lose time trying to find it again."

"That'd be great," David answered as he gently laid his hand on top of Liam's shoulder by way of comforting him a little.

"I'm going too," Leroy quickly replied gruffly. "It's been awhile since we've faced real enemies and this afternoon's fight against that brute and last night's brawl at the bar really made me miss this kind of danger, sort of. Besides, I haven't left Storybrooke since we all returned from the Enchanted Forest the year we all forgot for awhile. I'm going crazy being stuck here."

David smiled as responded, "Leroy… if you wanted to leave for a time, all you had to do was ask. We have a few ways of getting to other realms now. You just probably would be able to return without a magic bean."

Anton spoke up saying, "Our crops aren't ready yet, but they will be before too long. I'll come with you as well. I want to do more for this town. Hook is my friend."

"Would anyone else be willing to join us?" the former sheriff asked while he looked around those still with them.

"I may as well come along… if just to give you lot a way back home in case Hook's brother here can't," Regina answered in frustration as she flicked her wrist, then the Sorcerer's wand appeared in her hand. "Better safe than sorry. Besides, you could use a little more magic on your side, even if you have an army of ghosts to fight for you already."

Liam bowed to her and then replied, "I thank you, Your Majesty. On behalf of myself and my brother."

The dark haired woman smiled as she responded, "Well… I think I see which one of the Jones brothers has the real manners. Hook may have been a villain and a scoundrel when we first met, but he never once bowed to me and he hasn't been that respectful towards me since he's changed either."

"And yet despite your pasts, you've come to respect and care about him as a close friend like he's come to feel for you as well," Snow White said smugly, then turned back to her husband. "I would like to come too, but I really should stay here with Neal. We can't both leave him again. Besides, Emma is going to need me here too. She may want to go with you, but she's not in her right mind right now. We can't let her go, David. Killian wouldn't want her to risk her life for him like this."

"Don't worry, I think we can convince her Hook needs her here with him more, seeing as we have no idea how long we have before the effects of the brand will come about," the Prince voiced sadly, then pulled his wife into his arms and held her close.

Do you think you have room for one more volunteer?" Sir Morgan then asked as he looked over at his own daughter, who smiled at him for speaking up. "I owe it to Hook for saving Violet's life this morning."

David reached out his hand to the former Knight as Morgan shook it, then David answered, "We would be honored to have you with us. Thank you. All right everyone, it looks like we've got ourselves part of a solution. Let's get ready."


	22. Chapter 22

Dead Reckoning

Chapter Twenty-Two

 _"I assumed he'd heard my secret," Hook spoke almost regretfully after Neal walked away from them in the forest of Neverland. "And I also assumed that you'd told him of our shared moment."_

 _"Why would you assume that?" Emma asked in confusion as she looked at the pirate in frustration._

 _Hook looked at her with a yearning in his eyes as he responded, "Because I was hoping it meant something."_

 _She quickly replied sincerely, "What meant something was that you told us Neal was still alive. Thank you. I realized you could've kept Pan's information to yourself."_

 _"Why would I have done that?" he asked curtly._

 _"I don't know," the blonde answered hesitantly. "Maybe Pan offered you a deal? Why else would he tell you?"_

 _Disdainfully, though the disdain was geared toward himself, not at the woman standing in front of him, Hook responded, "It was a test. He wanted to see if I'd leave an old friend to die... even if the old friend happens to be vying for the same woman that I am."_

 _Emma looked at him with surprise as she said, "And you chose your friend."_

 _"Does that surprise you?" he asked._

 _"You are a pirate." Emma replied in a sardonic tone._

 _Killian felt the shame once again while he looked down for a moment until he raised his head and moved closer to her with a strong confidence as he answered, "Yeah, that I am. But I also believe in good form. So when I win your heart, Emma... and I will win it... it will not be because of any trickery. It will be because you want me."_

 _She looked at like he was joking as she stated, "This is not a contest, Hook."_

 _"Isn't it?" he quickly retorted. "You're gonna have to choose, Emma. You realize that, don't you? Because neither one of us is gonna give up."_

 _"The only thing I have to choose is the best way to get my son back." Emma responded in frustration as she glared at him._

 _Hook looked deeper into her eyes as he replied assuredly, "And you will."_

 _She quickly asked, "You think so?"_

 _"I have yet to see you fail," Killian finally said and then smiled smugly. "And when you do succeed... well, that's when the fun begins."_

"I don't know how you were so confident of us when we were just barely beginning to get to know one another, especially when you despised the man you used to be so much even then," Emma whispered sadly after she finally broke from her thoughts, then reached down to take his hand in her own and slowly rose from the bed to take a seat in the chair beside her husband again, while she continued to caress his cheek with her other hand. "But I'm so glad you were. You were right, you won my heart. Were it not for your stubbornness or for your willingness to believe in me again after what I did to you up in the giants' castle, we never would have fallen in love. I'm not really sure why it is we only recollect our past memories of how we may have met and moments that are special to us when the people we love get hurt and we're at risk… of losing them. It isn't right."

She gently pulled his hand up to her lips and kissed the top of it before she continued, but when she did so, the Savior watched fearfully while his limb suddenly grew frailer, as it aged slightly and his skin shriveled like Gold said it would. Thankfully, that was where the poison within his body stopped again, but watching as the man she loved slowly begin to wither away in front of her and being unable to do anything to help him frightened the Savior far more than any of the other times Killian's life had ever been at stake.

The Savior never once imagined that his age would be a reason for concern and while she had been forced to kill him in order to save them all from the darkness, this time was somehow different. When he died then, Killian had been the strongest and most valiant she had ever seen her husband even though she saw him as such every day. But now, he was weak because his body was failing him every second that passed by. Emma didn't know how she was going to save him, but she was going to. She was going to find the villain who had done this to him and make him regret crossing her.

Emma gently laid his hand back down against the bed and wiped away the tears that stained her cheeks as she cried, then she stood to leave so she could speak with their family and friends. But as she turned towards the door, Emma saw that the others outside were frozen in place, a cloaked figure was the only one who somehow made his way between them and then entered the room to stand before the Savior, who immediately raised her hands to defend Killian and herself against a potential threat knowing that the brute who had attacked Killian twice already was still at large.

However, the intruder suddenly emitted a bright white light that flooded the entire room causing Emma to have to cover her eyes. When the glow finally faded, she struggled to see again as she looked towards where the being was standing before. Instead of seeing Bishop or any one of his crew like she expected, she saw a clean-shaven man who wore a pure white tunic trimmed with gold fringes, and donned a large armor belt over his lower body, as well as golden gauntlets over his wrists.

Emma finally snapped out of her shock as she raised her hands again and threateningly emitted her own light magic as they glowed brightly while she asked curtly, "Who the hell are you? If you've come to hurt my husband…"

The stranger stopped her as he answered solemnly, "Forgive my entrance and for making you feel alarmed, Emma. I assure you, I mean you and your husband no harm. I just feared that once I announced who I am, you wouldn't believe me without showing you a little of the power I possess. I'm Zeus. Killian and I once met just before I gave him life again, as a reward for helping you and your friends to defeat my brother Hades."

 _"_ _Hello, Killian," Emma suddenly heard the deity before her say when the King of the Gods reached out and gently touched her temple, as he poured the memory of her husband appearing to him upon Mount Olympus as Killian stepped into the light upon moving on from the Underworld into her mind._

 _"_ _Who are you?" her husband asked the God as he turned around upon hearing a voice call out to him from behind him and stared at the being through the white light surrounding them with suspicion. "What do you want?"_

 _He simply smiled kindly and then responded sincerely, "I want to thank you. Because of you, something very important has been done. Those above have finally destroyed the misguided God of Death… my brother Hades."_

 _Killian suddenly understood who this being was and with surprise, he uttered, "Zeus."_

 _"_ _Indeed," Olympus' ruler replied and slowly walked towards the Captain, then gently laid a hand upon Killian's shoulder. "And I'm here to escort you onward. Are you ready?"_

 _"_ _I am," Emma heard the man she loved answer and saw the sadness in his eyes._

 _Zeus then pushed her husband forward and walked a few steps with him until the deity stopped and watched as Killian continued onward while he responded, "Then it's time to take you where you belong."_

 _Emma watched as the man she loved walked again towards the light until he paused a moment and turned his head back, but he didn't turn around. Finally, he just continued on and vanished from Zeus' sight. What happened to Killian next, the Savior already knew, as he had been returned to life, returned to her and she couldn't stop the tears that slipped from her eyes._

She quickly wiped them away again when Zeus pulled his hand away as the memory faded and stepped back, then Emma stared at him with the same look of surprise Killian had upon recognizing him as well, until she spoke up again in disbelief saying, "It really is you. But why… how are you here? Please, don't take Killian away. I know we've defied you and the other Gods when we traveled down into the Underworld to bring Killian back. And I know that his brother is doing the same now by fighting with us to save his life again. But Killian belongs here. I've waited my whole life to find someone to save me from being alone and unloved. I didn't believe in true love, or at least that I would ever find it myself, until Killian came into my life and fought for our love even when I didn't. I can't lose him again."

"Worry not, Emma," the King of the Gods replied quietly. "I haven't come here to take Killian back with me or to help him to move on. Nor have I come to punish Liam for only wanting to protect his brother. I was hoping you and I would one day have a chance to talk. I know you wish that I use my power to heal your husband and restore him as I did before. Sadly, I fear I cannot. The evil that is slowly killing him now is even beyond my own power. No one knows the true origin of Neverland, nor of the island's dark power. But trust in the love the two of you share and in the strength of those who love you. Believe there is a way to save him out there. I don't doubt that together you will find it."

"However… you must know that if you should fail, if Killian does die once more, I cannot interfere again," Zeus continued more somberly. "The other Gods weren't so happy that I did so before. Not all of them, but most. My brother Poseidon sided with me. After all that your husband did to reunite him with his daughter Ursula, he was most grateful and believed Killian deserved a chance at a new life with you. And both of you, as well as your parents, helped my own son Hercules, as well as his new wife Megara to move on from the Underworld for which I too am grateful. But we aren't meant to interfere in human affairs no matter what choices you all make or how much we love one individual. We are simply meant to observe. What comes of you is of your own making. The reason I gave in and chose to reward Killian before… is because all of you did what even we couldn't. Especially you and Killian. You saved our children and then defeated Hades, but not before you tried to save his own soul until he left you no choice except to destroy him."

Emma shook her head as she quietly responded, "We only did what was right to protect those we love and to protect the outside world from Hades' wrath."

The deity nodded and then smiled again as he replied, "The strength and love I see in you, Emma, is rare. Even for the Saviors who've come before you. And Killian… He did… after two hundred years of hate, anguish, and misery, what few people within all the realms have been able to do in one lifetime. While individually the two of you are as I've said, together you're even stronger. I admire you both very much. So, don't give up hope. Fight for him as you've always done. I don't doubt he'll keep fighting to live."

"For someone who isn't supposed to interfere, you're certainly not doing very well at refraining from doing so," the Savior light-heartedly retorted, then sensed Zeus wasn't telling her the whole truth. "I'm honored you think so highly of us, but why did you really come here? It can't really be that you've left your cloud up in Mount Olympus just to say thank you."

"You're right," he answered more gravely. "In truth, I've come in order to offer you a word of warning. I'm afraid I'm not the only God who's come down from Mount Olympus to interfere and he doesn't think of you as my brother and I do. Zagreus is Hades' son. He's come down to help the villain who's done this to your husband succeed. And like Hades, he won't stop. Without the Olympian Crystal, you won't be able to defeat him as you did Hades. But perhaps you can find a way to imprison him when he makes himself known. I promise you, he will soon. Be careful, Emma. And I truly hope that you can save Killian for both your sakes."

Before Emma could stop him, a bright light suddenly engulfed the room again and when it faded, the King of the Gods was gone. She immediately glanced towards her family and friends and saw that they were moving and talking amongst each other like they were before Zeus appeared. However, she turned back to Killian when she heard him suddenly call out her name faintly while he tried to sit up and pull away the tube under his nose and along his lower face.

She rushed to his side and carefully pulled away his hand to take it into her own before he could pull the tube out as she stated, "It's all right… You're alright. Just relax and let the doctor's ministrations help you."

The Savior tenderly laid her hand against the side of his face to try to calm him as he struggled against the blindness keeping him from being able to see her and when he felt her soft touch while he heard her voice, Killian finally calmed down, then her husband responded weakly, "Emma… you're safe? Are y… you hurt? I… can't see."

"I'm fine, Killian," Emma quietly replied, then she leaned down to kiss his forehead in order to reassure him she meant what she was telling him and tenderly continued to caress his cheek while continuing to hold his hand. "I wasn't hurt. I promise. I'm just really worried about you. Oh, Killian… I'm so sorry I couldn't stop them. We should have gone after the pirates who did this to you right after they tried to kill you the first time. If we had, you wouldn't be lying here now."

"I'm… guessing your pow… powers can't fix whatever's… happening to me?" he questioned worryingly. "Otherwise… I wouldn't be… here in the hos… pital."

The Savior looked away from him out of guilt as she lied in order to protect him from worrying more than he already was when she answered softly, "We don't know much of anything right now. But everyone's working on finding out how to help you. Did your assailant say anything to you when he attacked you? Do you know why, or who he was?"

Her husband burrowed his head deeper into the pillows beneath him and then closed his eyes as he responded, "Bishop. I told you I made… a deal with Pan to… to leave Neverland. He had me fight one of the Los… Lost Boys in a duel when he tried to start an up… uprising against Pan. I won. But barely. I was given pass… age… off the island. He was banished. Bishop was a boy then, but… he was still… a brute. After thirty or so years… he still holds… a grudge. And he's even bigger. I'm not sure how… how he found me. Or how he got hold of this kind... of power…"

"That's enough," the woman who loved him finally cut him off to keep him from overexerting himself any longer. "You need to try to save your strength. Try to sleep. I promise you, you're going to be alright, Killian."

"I know," he whispered as he slowly began to drift off into sleep, even before Emma suggested he do so. "I love… love you, Emma."

The Savior leaned down over him and tenderly kissed him, then she replied quietly, "I love you too. I'm so happy that you kept your word to me when you once told me you would win my heart. You never gave up on me. I won't give up on you either. Especially now. For once, I need you to understand it's okay to take care of yourself and stop being so self-sacrificing. You have nothing more to prove to anyone. We all see you as a hero and I know you know this, but you still struggle with believing it. Someday, we will grow old. However, it's going to be together. No dark magic or revenge seeking pirates are going to destroy our happy endings."

Killian answered, "I believe you."

Once Emma knew her husband was asleep again and resting more comfortably, she slowly rose to her feet and walked out of the room so she could speak with the others about Zeus and of his warning. If they had discussed any plans, whether it was about the intruders or Neverland, it'll all have to change.


	23. Chapter 23

Dead Reckoning

Chapter Twenty-Three

Upon returning to his shop, Belle noticed the stern look on her husband's face and when he walked towards her, out of concern for her friend she asked, "How is Killian? Everyone is clearly very worried about him. What happened?"

Rumple opened the book in his hands again to show her the same page he showed to the others in the hospital and then answered, "This is the weapon our newest villain used on the Captain. It's from Neverland and I fear that saving him will be most difficult. A few of them will be returning to the island with hope of retrieving the waters that will heal the burn, but I'm not so sure about… well I suppose poison is the best word for what is spreading throughout his body. Curing it won't be as easy. Unless we can, all the years that Hook spent in Neverland will finally catch up to him as his youth will be ripped from his body and Hook will die. I could use your help with research. I believe I might have the answer around here somewhere, but…"

"Of course I'll help you look," the beauty responded worryingly before he could finish asking, then took the book from him and began to shuffle through its pages. "Do you have any idea where we ought to start looking? You found one book about it, which appears to be in your handwriting. These drawings are all done by you as well. Where did you find the information about the brand to be able to create this page?"

"It was shown to me when we traveled to Neverland in order to save Henry," Gold replied quietly. "By my own shadow. I cut it out of me so that it would guard over the dagger, even from me so long as we were trapped among the Lost Boys. I couldn't have Pan use my dagger against me. I thought of taking the brand for myself, but I had no need to steal ones youth as I'm already immortal. I was also trying to be a better man at the time for Neal's sake. At the time, I really was trying."

Belle smiled sadly as she laid her hand gently over his arm, then stated, "I know you were. All right… So perhaps we could try to get the brand away from the villain who's currently in possession of it and then we can use the steel itself to discover a way to save Killian. Do you suppose you could summon it here to us?"

The Dark One looked at his wife with surprise at her suggestion, then smiled smugly as he answered, "Not without knowing exactly where it is I'm afraid. But perhaps if we were to spy on these pirates. I just need something might have…"

"That might have what?" she asked when Gold paused a moment and then flicked his wrist as Killian's hook suddenly appeared in one hand and one of his crystal balls in the other.

"Something that might have touched said villain when he and our own resident pirate fought one another," he continued smugly and then touched the tip of the hook to the orb, as several images swirled around within it until the right image he sought finally appeared, showing Bishop and his men hiding inside a cave out in the middle of the woods somewhere. "I believe if we listen in on what they're up to, we may learn where they're keeping the brand and perhaps even of their plans."

Meanwhile…

 _"How did you come to learn of this ancient brand?" Gold and Belle heard the brute ask a shadow they realized was helping their enemies when he spoke up again. "In all the years I lived on the island before being banished, I never knew of it. I thought I knew all there was to know of Neverland."_

 _The crewmen sent out to gather the firewood returned carrying sticks and branches from the trees in their arms as the entity responded, "Trust me, you don't know our world as well as you think you do. Not even Peter Pan understood it completely. Nor did he understand that the shadow he claimed as his own wasn't completely devoted to him as he believed. It showed me how to find the brand days before these heroes captured it to get them home when they came here some time ago. Not so I could kill Pan then, but in case it was necessary to do so in the future. It turns out it wasn't needed. Because the boy's own son killed him first."_

 _The first mate looked at the shadow as he asked, "Why would it want to kill Pan if it was so devoted to the boy?"_

 _"Because, Pan had eventually become too arrogant," Rufio's shadow replied. "The island's first shadow no longer believed him to be the chosen leader Neverland deserved. It too was killed when they came here to Storybrooke. We cannot allow the same to happen to us."_

 _"It will not come to pass so long as we continue to work together to see that Hook dies and then find our way back home," Bishop answered with confidence. "We will just have to steal ourselves a magic bean."_

All of a sudden, a bright red glow burst through the cave as a strange voice within the light responded, "That won't be necessary. I can get you home without some magic bean, a ship, and especially without this old shadow trying to take all the credit for you having your revenge."

Bishop and his men immediately stood and pulled their weapons while they struggled against the light surrounding them, as the brute called out, "Show yourself! Or you will regret coming here, I assure you."

At last, the glow faded and a man who was even larger in stature than Bishop was himself stood among them. He was tall, clean-shaven, had deep green eyes, red hair, and wore a royal blue tunic, brown leather gauntlets, as well as sandals on his feet. He wore a scabbard at his side that held an extravagant ancient sword with a gold hilt. Rufio's shadow flew down before the stranger to confront him until the newcomer opened the palm of his hand to reveal two coconut halves and quickly lights the candle within the lower piece to draw the entity in to trap it. The boy's shadow let out a terrifying, ear-splitting screech as it become sucked into the shells and suddenly engulfed in flames until it was suddenly destroyed.

Bishop glared at the being before him as he asked coldly, "Who are you? Or what are you?"

"You don't recognize a God when you see one?" the deity sneered and released the ash left of the shells onto the ground at his feet, then wiped off his hands. "I'm not too surprised. I'm Zagreus, son of Hades and former God of the Underworld. The true and rightful ruler of the Underworld, until he was destroyed by these so-called heroes. They think they're free to live happily ever after now that the Savior's final battle has been fought. I'm here to see to it that they lose everything they hold dear."

"You are too late," the brute replied smugly, then chortled when he felt a renewed strength within his right hand and watched as the limb slowly de-aged. "I have already begun my reckoning. And as you can see, I do not need any of your help."

Zagreus became angry as he spoke up again saying, "Like you needed that shadow's help? I was the one who gave you the map that helped you to find your way back to Neverland! I was the one who opened the passage between worlds so you could return with your ship. Not that dark entity! Me! I want to see these heroes suffer for what they did to my father and now they will, but because I made it so. If you wish to hold onto your newfound youth, you will obey my every word. Storybrooke will fall… and everyone in it. Captain Hook and Emma Swan happen to be the first to pay. And then, I will finally go after the Wicked Witch who killed Hades. The rest will die at the hands of my army once I raise them from my father's domain."

The man now called Bishop smiled and then uttered, "Rufio's shadow told us to wait here, but we have grown tired of waiting. I look forward to a real fight."


	24. Chapter 24

Dead Reckoning

Chapter Twenty-Four

"Zeus…" David stated skeptically after Emma finished telling them of the deity's warning of the newest rising threat against them. "Zeus, the King of the Gods was actually here?"

"I didn't want to believe it at first either, but it was undeniably him," Emma replied with a sigh and then she turned her head to look back at her husband again worryingly through the glass. "He showed me Killian's final moments with him until Zeus brought him back to life and sent him back here to us. It was just as Killian described. I don't know why he appeared to only me while he kept all of you frozen out here in the corridors, but I guess that's just how he wanted it. He probably doesn't reveal himself to hardly anyone."

Snow looked down at her son she held within her arms as Neal stared up at her and quickly smiled when she did so, then she continued, "And Zeus told you that Hades had a son who has come to avenge his father? What are we going to do? We barely defeated Hades and it's not like we have another Olympian Crystal laying around."

The Savior shrugged as she answered, "Zeus told me that while we can't defeat this other God, we may be able to trap him somehow. The only way I can think of off the top of my head to do that, is to trap him inside Pandora's Box. But getting close enough to do that is what's going to be difficult. Somehow, I know that a war is coming and we're going to need as many people here as we can get to fight it."

"Then we'll have to readjust our plans as to who's going to Neverland," David responded as he looked around those who had already volunteered to join him. "It's still best for me and Liam to go. But after what Hook told us about the Lost Boys who still inhabit the island… how they're wilder then they were when they were controlled by Pan, we're going to need a few more too. Hopefully we can get there and back before we miss too much of the battle that's coming here. Grumpy, you can come with us. And Sir Morgan… if you both are still willing."

"I'm more than willing," the dwarf replied smugly. "Count me in."

The Knight looked between the three men looking to him now, turned to his daughter as if seeking some kind of confirmation, then as Violet smiled, he finally answered, "You can count me in too. I mean what I said earlier about wanting to pay Hook back for saving my daughter's life."

Dr. Whale walked between everyone still standing outside of Hook's room and entered inside, while Liam spoke up saying, "I promise, Sir Morgan… I will protect the three of you the best I can so that you will all make it back home alive."

"And when you get there, see if you can find Tiger Lily," Emma continued. "When I went through the door to save Killian from the Lost Boys, he saved her from them as well and Killian said she was on our side in the final battle. Surely, she'll be of some help to… you…"

"Emma, what's wrong?" Snow asked her daughter worryingly when she trailed off and quickly turned back to the room where the doctor was standing over Killian until she suddenly rushed back inside with her hands raised.

Before anything more could be said or questioned, the Savior used her powers to blast Whale back hard against the wall and then angrily shouted, "Stay the hell away from my husband!"

Others rushed into the room in shock upon seeing Emma attack the doctor, as Regina cried out, "Emma… what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I'm protecting Killian," she responded coldly while she quickly glanced down at him as he struggled to wrap his hand over his arm, crying out softly as he did so, then she continued to glare at the man slowly rising back to his feet as he suddenly began to laugh. "He's not Whale."

"Emma's right," Liam stated as he walked around his brother's bed along with David and saw a large gash cut deeply along Killian's left forearm, then the Prince immediately wrapped part of the blanket draped over his son-in-law around the wound to stifle the blood to take over holding it for his son-in-law. "This man was attacking Killian, not trying to help him."

The Savior's hands began to glow again while she kept her eyes firmly on the imposter as he made the bloodied knife within his hand disappear and questioned, "Who are you? Are you the God we were warned about? I don't care what you really are, but you can be damned sure that I won't let you harm Killian any more than you, or the rest of the villains trying to kill him already have."

The attacker stopped his chortle and waved his hand as he become engulfed in a bright red light again for a few seconds until it faded to reveal the deity's true form, then he finally replied, "You got me. I'm Zagreus. I have to say, Emma… I'm impressed. Impressed that you caught onto me so quickly. But how did you know I wasn't your resident doctor?"

"I sensed something wasn't right with my husband," she answered as the real Dr. Whale came rushing into the room and began to help David with his patient. "We don't have to share a heart for us to sense when the other's in trouble. Somehow, we always just know. That's true love."

"Yes, true love…" the God before them responded smugly. "It's a real shame that true love's kiss won't help Captain Hook now. Not any act of true love can. It's only a matter of time before what's killing him now, will rip out every ounce of the youth from his body and turn what's left of him when it's finished, into dust and bone. Two hundred years is a long time for someone to cheat death, but it will always catch up to you eventually unless you're immortal like me. I only came here for a little of his blood before it's all dried up."

Snow stared at the deity in confusion as she asked, "If you really are some all-powerful God, why do you need some mortal's blood? And why Killian's?"

Zagreus smiled at them eerily and replied, "I'm not ready to reveal my plans for you and the rest of this town just yet. It's only a matter of time before you figure them out. But by then, it will be far too late for you to stop me. It won't be long before the war that's coming begins. So, I suggest what little time you all have left, you forget whatever your plans are and spend the time I'm giving you together saying goodbye."

"If you really believe we can't stop you, then you don't know us very well," Emma answered. "Hades believed the same thing. He underestimated us all along and in the end, we destroyed him. He left us with no choice. But you have one. You can leave Storybrooke and never come back. You can heal Killian and stop whatever you have planned. Please… we don't want to have to destroy you too, but we will if we have to."

"Without the power of an Olympian Crystal?" Hades' son sneered mockingly. "There's no other way to kill a God. And I won't stop. All of you heroes are responsible for my father's death and you will all pay for it. I'm afraid that you and your pirate just so happened to be the first ones to punished, Emma. You will watch the man you love wither away before the rest of you meet your own fates. This punishment is far worse than your own death, isn't it?"

Before Emma could say anything more, the God waved his hand again and vanished from before them, then once he was gone, the Savior rushed over to Killian as she asked Whale worryingly, "Is he alright? What did he do?"

The doctor looked at his patient's wife while she emitted her magic to try to heal the gash until she discovered she couldn't, then he tightened his hold of the cloth around Hook's arm again and responded, "The cut isn't too bad. It's deep, but I can stich it up. I just have to wait until the blood flow stops more so that he won't bleed out while I'm trying to work. As far as I can tell, it's a normal looking laceration."

"The God said it himself," David replied quietly when he finally stepped back so that Whale could do his job without him being in his way. "Hook's already suffering from the effects of the brand. There was no need for him to poison Hook anymore. We should get going before this battle comes to a head."

"Before you go, you should know what kind of battle is about to take place," Gold said with concern in his voice when he slowly came walking towards them upon entering the corridor, then waited for everyone else to leave Hook's room to come out to him before he continued.

Snow looked at the Dark One with surprise as she asked, "You mean… you know what Zagreus has planned?"

Rumple nodded as he pulled out Killian's hook from his coat's inside pocket and handed it over to Emma, then answered, "I borrowed this so that I could spy on the villain who began all of this. In their own small fight, I figured the Captain's hook might have scratched, perhaps even wounded the brute at some point. I was right. Belle and I saw as Hades' son made his first appearance to the pirates, who happen to be hiding out within a cave somewhere out in the woods."

"Does what he has planned have something to do with why he just stole some of Killian's blood?" Snow asked him again.

"I'm afraid so," Gold sternly responded. "Zagreus is a God and Hades' son. Therefore, he has the power to travel between realms and anywhere within the Underworld, including within the Worse Place. The only thing this God can't do, is raise an army without finding a way to open the portal keeping all souls from leaving the Underworld in. That's where Hook's blood comes in. It's the key to opening said portal, like mine. Clearly, getting his was easier."

David stared at their friend with disbelief while he replied, "You're saying his plan is to raise an army from the Underworld to fight against everyone here in Storybrooke? How are we going to fight an entire army of the dead?"

Rumple answered, "I'm not yet certain. If this deity succeeds in gathering his army, it isn't going to be easy. I'm willing to bet that most of them, if not all will have grudges against a few of us for sending them down to their hell in the first place."

"At least a few of us are already dead ourselves," Liam responded sternly. "My men will stay here and fight alongside you, while I'm in Neverland. They will defend you."

"Belle is currently working on the elixir for Hook per my own instructions for when you return from Neverland with the waters," Gold replied again. "In the meantime, I suggest the rest of you work on your protection spells and look for a way to trap the son of Hades."

Emma stepped away and returned to Killian's side again once she saw that Dr. Whale was finished tending to the laceration, while Regina spoke again saying, "Actually, we thought we would trap him within Pandora's Box. You do still have it?"

He nodded and summoned the box into his hand, then handed it over to the Queen as he answered, "It's an excellent way to trap an all-powerful being such as a God. We have much to do to prepare ourselves for what's to come. I will see if there's something I can do to perhaps block the portal so Zagreus cannot open it even with Hook's blood. But should he succeed, I will be here to stand by your side. The darkness still inside of me will finally be put to use in defending this town, rather than trying to tear it apart like in the past."

Meanwhile, Whale walked out of the room when he finished, leaving Emma alone with Killian once more as she took his hand in her own like before and when she couldn't come up with the right words to say, Killian whispered frailly, "What… is it you're not telling me, love?"

"It's nothing for you to worry about," his wife responded sadly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to leave you alone. We were only trying to discuss how…"

"Please… I may be blind, but I can tell you're… trying to protect me from what's happening to me," he interrupted. "No more secrets. Remember?"

"You're right," Emma stated worryingly. "No more secrets. I'll tell you everything."


	25. Chapter 25

Dead Reckoning

Chapter Twenty-Five

Inside Regina's mansion…

Zelena had just finished making herself a sandwich when Robin awoke from her nap. As her daughter began to cry, the now powerless witch set the plate down on the table and walked to the crib, then leaned over her to pick her up. It only took picking Robin up and a few cooing words from her mother to calm her, like it always did. Robin began to laugh as she looked up into Zelena's eyes and Zelena laughed with her. Finally, she laid her daughter down on the couch and quickly changed her, then they began to play.

In the middle of them doing so, Zagreus suddenly appeared before Zelena and before she could even open her mouth to ask the stranger who he was, the God used his powers to lift the red-haired woman into the air within a choke hold until he quickly flung her down against the floor.

She sat up weakly as soon as she could, then saw her assailant looming over her daughter and she shouted angrily, "No! Get the hell away from my baby! Who are you?"

The deity smiled cruelly and then he responded, "I was named Zagreus by my father. I never really cared for the name, but I didn't really care much for him either, nor he for me. I was somewhat of a disappointment because I didn't agree with his transformation of our home to look like this hell of yours, all for you. However, I do care that he was killed… by you. You remember Hades, don't you? Everything my father did was for you and you repaid him by killing him? I can't let this stand!"

"Hades was trying to kill my sister," Zelena cried fearfully as she struggled to make her way back to the couch to protect Robin, who had begun to cry again, however she could. "He had just murdered her lover. Despite our pasts, I cared for Robin Hood too. He didn't deserve to die like that. I loved Hades, but I couldn't let your father destroy everything. Do to me whatever you want, but please… please don't harm my baby."

"Your baby won't survive long without someone to look after her and I plan on destroying this entire town, along with everyone in it," he answered smugly, then magically began to choke the former Wicked Witch again.

All of a sudden, another bout of power forced Zagreus upward against the ceiling, setting Zelena free and she fought to get her breathing back under control while she quickly took Robin into her arms, then turned to see who had just saved her. To her surprise, Mr. Gold now stood between her, her child, and the God as he managed to break free of the Dark One's grasp, then rose back to his feet.

Gold spoke up first saying, "If you succeed in your plans to wipe us all out, there is no need for you to kill Hades' murderer before anyone else. She too will be destroyed when you attempt to turn Storybrooke into Hell on Earth. But for now, this witch is under my protection and you're alone. Get out."

The God sneered, "I never thought I would see the day when the Dark One chose to care about anyone else, but himself. I can't kill you, at least not without your dagger. But if you fight against me for these heroes, then I will do everything within my power to destroy you too. And I'm a God. While we're both immortal, you can be killed easier than I can. You're a bit short on Olympian Crystals. Until next time…"

With that said, Zagreus vanished again within a cloud of red smoke. Then, once he was gone, Rumple turned around as he looked down at the woman crouching on the floor with her daughter in her arms, then reached out his hand to help her stand. She hesitated at first, but when she saw the softness in the man's eyes, she finally accepted.

"Are you and your baby alright?" he asked quietly.

"I think we're both just fine, thanks to you," Zelena replied with disbelief. "Why did you do it? Risk your life to save me? I mean, you might be immortal, but I don't think you've ever stood in front of another immortal for me before."

Gold turned away from her as he responded, "You're one of the few I've yet to make amends to. I'm not even close to being the Savior I was meant to be before my mother severed me from my fate, but I'm no longer the villain I was before she arrived here and tried to kill us all like this deity. We haven't gotten along in the past. But if you're willing, I hope to one day put the trouble between us, behind us."

During the missing year…

 _Zelena opened the door to her storm cellar and walked inside as she found Mr. Gold was spinning on his spinning wheel within his cage, then when she tuned on the light so she could see him better, she sardonically asked, "Enjoying your little toy?"_

 _"The spinning cleans the mind, soothes the soul," the Dark One uttered madly as he seemed to ignore the Wicked Witch, spinning even faster than before. "It cleans the mind, it soothes the soul. Cleans the mind, soothes the soul."_

 _"You look as awful as you sound," she sneered with a laugh, then Gold stopped._

 _As he did so, the witch approached his cell and questioned, "What? You're not enjoying your cage, hmm? Not appreciating your jailer? Oh, no. You look like you want to hurt me. Go on, then. Give it a go."_

 _Zelena then giggled while she opened the cage's padlock and continued, "I'd love to see you try, especially when we both know that you can't, not when I have this."_

 _"You're a slave to it," she added when she quickly raised the Dark One dagger to keep him from attacking her. "And to me. Frustration can be so intoxicating… On others. The only one that can do the hurting here is me."_

After Zelena's defeat…

 _"Regina," the powerless witch stated from within her jail cell without turning around while she faced the wall after being locked up by her sister upon being stripped of her magic. "I didn't expect you back so soon."_

 _However, it was the Dark One who spoke instead of Regina like she expected as Gold answered, "I don't imagine you expected me at all, dearie."_

 _The Wicked Witch spun around and glared at him, then scoffed as she asked, "What are you doing here?"_

 _"What do you think?" he replied coldly._

 _"You can't kill me, Rumple," she retorted nervously while she remained sitting on the cot. "I saw Regina take your dagger."_

 _He responded, "She gave it to Belle."_

 _Zelena sneered, "And she wants me dead."_

 _"No, of course not," Gold continued smugly._

 _"Well, then, you'll have to do what she wishes," she answered snidely. "If she has the dagger, you have no choice."_

 _The Dark One then pulled up his dagger he kept hidden behind his back while they spoke as Zelena immediately stood up against the furthest wall behind him and replied, "Yes._ _If_ _she has the dagger. But she doesn't. She only thinks she does. You see, um… My father taught me something… the only useful thing he passed on… a bit of sleight of hand called 'follow the lady.' Belle has a fake. This, however, is quite real."_

 _All of a sudden, Gold transported himself inside the cell with the woman who had murdered her son as she fearfully pleaded, "Wait. Wait! I'm powerless now. R… Regina's got my pendant. My magic's gone. I can't hurt anyone! I can't. Why?"_

 _"Because I promised my son his death would be avenged," he responded cruelly, then swiftly thrust his dagger into Zelena's stomach to kill her last while she gasped in pain and turned into glass until she finally shattered into pieces at the Dark One's feet as he removed the blade from her body. "And Rumplestiltskin never breaks a deal."_

Back in the present…

"I'm sorry about your son," Zelena finally answered after taking a few moments to reflect on their pasts. "I would like to put our pasts behind us very much. Thank you, Rumple."

Gold looked down at the baby in her arms while he replied, "Thank me after I make sure you and your daughter are protected from Hades' son."

She smiled and then said quietly, "I just hope that it's possible. Robin already lost her father. I can't let her lose her mother too. I'll do whatever you feel is necessary. I trust you."


	26. Chapter 26

Dead Reckoning

Chapter Twenty-Six

Years ago in Neverland…

 _"I know about your deal with Pan," David said coldly as he suddenly pulled his sword and put the pointed end to Hook's throat, threateningly forcing the pirate Captain up against the deadly dreamshade behind him without actually pushing him against the poisonous thorns._

 _"You heard that then?" Hook uttered, a little bit surprised._

 _Despite feeling weak, the Prince kept his stand against the man he saw as an enemy as he reacted, "Yeah. I heard that."_

 _Killian kept his eyes on the Savior's father as he answered, "Then you know I didn't agree."_

 _"Yeah, you also didn't disagree," David quickly replied and pushed Hook back a bit further._

 _"Don't you see?" Hook questioned in response as he struggled to keep himself away from the plants despite the force against him. "This is what he wanted, to turn us against each other."_

 _He grunted as David made a move to jab him with the blade still at his throat, then stopped before he struck and answered crossly, "Well, it worked"_

 _Killian glance back at the thorns as he pleaded with David to stop by saying, "You're making the poison spread quicker, mate."_

 _"I don't care," the younger man firmly replied. "I just have to last long enough to get the sextant back to my family. Now take me to it!"_

 _"My brother didn't lose his satchel up here," the pirate responded in all honesty. "I made that up."_

 _David exhaled sharply, struggling to breathe while the poison continued to spread making him weaker and weaker, then with confusion he asked, "What about the insignia?"_

 _The Prince finally let up as he pulled his sword away from the other man's throat, then Hook rubbed his neck and inhaled deeply while he answered, "I dropped it on the path so you'd find it."_

 _"Why?" David questioned again._

 _"Because I knew you'd never make the journey here if I told you the truth," Killian replied in frustration._

 _With disbelief, Emma's father stated, "The truth? The truth… you brought me here to die?"_

 _The Captain shouted back, "I brought you here to save your life!"_

 _"You're a liar!" the Prince retorted angrily and grunted when he attempted to punch his enemy in his face, which Hook was easily able to dodge as he then struck David himself in order to knock him unconscious so he could do what he needed to do before the man got himself killed._

 _Killian looked down at David in frustration, yet sadly, then he knelt down over him as he took the sheriff's flask off of him and pulled its strap over his head in order to secure it at his side. The pirate cursed as he then pulled a cloth up over his mouth and nose, pulled his cutlass from its scabbard, and struggled to cut through the deadly plants and thorns while he grunted at the strain, being very careful to avoid being scratched or cut. Once he was finally through and at the spring that had saved his brother's life for a time, Hook filled the flask with the magical waters, then made his way back to the dying man, panting and sighing deeply as he struggled to get his own breathing back under control after all his efforts._

 _"Mate, wake up," Hook uttered as he slapped David lightly against his cheek to try to bring him back around._

 _He coughed once he awoke and upon seeing the pirate over him once more, David shouted, "Hey, get off me!"_

 _Killian tried to get the struggling man trying to sit up and backing away from him back under control as he called out himself saying firmly, "Hey, whoa, whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Whoa, whoa. Look. In this canteen is the water that will stop the dreamshade, that will save your life."_

 _"That's why you brought me up here," David responded as he then slowly began to understand what Hook had done, though not his true motives for doing so._

 _"Yes," the older man answered in frustration._

 _"You knew I wouldn't come on my own, that I wouldn't leave my family," Charming continued as he stared at Hook in disbelief._

 _Killian curtly replied, "That you were stubborn? Yes, I gathered that rather quickly." The Prince coughed again and inhaled deeply, then he forcefully responded, "Well, give it to me."_

 _"There's something you need to know first," Hook quickly answered as he pulled the flask away from the man reaching out for it, then continued with more veracity in his voice in order to make his point stronger. "Because its power comes from the island, once you drink this water, you can never leave Neverland."_

 _"It's a small price to pay for what I get in return…" David replied quietly with a nod of his head. "The chance to save my grandson… and to help my family get home."_

 _Killian released his hold on the flask as David took it from him, then raised it to the man before finally drinking from it. Almost immediately, the Prince began to feel the effects of the magical waters as the poison began to disappear and the pain within him vanished, then at last he began to laugh with joy, while the pirate Captain did so more calmly, happy to have been able to help Emma's father, rather than kill him like Pan wanted him to do, like a small part of himself wanted to do._

 _Hook finally reached out his hand to help David stand when he was cured, then the Prince looked at the villain with surprise as he asked, "One question… Why risk your life for me when there wasn't anything for you in return?"_

 _"I didn't do it for you, mate," the pirate responded cheekily with a wink, and David knew he was right to assume that he had really risked his life to help him for Emma's sake._

Once their course was set and the Jewel of the Realm passed through the portal from the ocean outside of Storybrooke into the oceans surrounding Neverland, Liam stepped away from the steering wheel and quietly made his way over to where David stood as the younger man was looking out over the ship's side keeping watch for the island he never expected to see again.

Both Leroy and Sir Morgan kept themselves busy continuing on with the heavy work that the Captain's crew usually did such as manning the riggings and setting the sails in their proper positions per Liam's orders. David had already done a lot of the work, until Grumpy told him to take it easy for awhile, knowing just how much their Prince dreaded coming on this journey and that he was already weary, as well as worried about their friend.

"This world is darker as I remember," Liam said quietly, interrupting David's thoughts as he appeared at his side, then kept their eyes trained on the invisible horizon before them. "When Killian and I first came here all those years ago, there was still sunlight. While this realm frightened me, I thought then it still had its beauty. What happened here?"

Charming finally looked over at the older Jones as he stated darkly, "Pan is what happened here. Pan and the Lost Boys. You might not have known the demon child… that's what your brother always called Pan… You might not have known him long or even knew just how evil he really was, but Hook did. And so did we. When we returned home once we saved Henry, we brought Pan and some of the Lost Boys back with us, most of whom we set free after we knew Pan's influence over them was gone. But many more of the boys remained here, the darkest of them. It appears they've continued the ways Pan taught them."

Liam nodded and then turned his head to look over at the Savior's father as he spoke again saying, "Killian expressed to me his gratitude he feels towards not only Emma, but towards you and the rest of your family and friends. I wish to express mine to you now. Thank you for being there for my brother when I couldn't be. Although I suppose it all worked out for the best… If I hadn't have died and Killian didn't take the course he did, then he never would have lived this long and he never would have found the love and happiness I always wanted for him. If you don't mind me asking, what exactly is your relationship with him? I know you're friends and that you care for him, but…"

"We didn't get along at first," David answered, as he couldn't stop himself from letting out a small laugh upon saying so. "Not even at all really. We were both far too stubborn. Your brother was a pirate and a villain, neither of which I could see past in order to see him as anything else. Especially when he started making advances towards my daughter even though he never treated Emma, like how I suppose most other pirates might treat their women. Plus there's the fact that when Emma and Snow first met him, he tried to kill them. So… there's that. He hated me for awhile as I hated him, especially because he saw me as someone standing in his way of winning Emma's heart, which he did despite me. And I'm glad he did because honestly, I didn't judge him fairly either."

"My wife always saw the good in people and believed they could change no matter what they've done in their pasts," the Prince continued more solemnly, while he struggled to think of his son-in-law as his usual, smug self and not lying within a hospital bed dying as he grew older and frailer within a matter of hours rather than years. "I was never as good at seeing the good within others after they've wronged us or anyone else. Then, Hook saved my life when he brought us here to save Henry from Pan and I too was poisoned by dreamshade. He claims he only did so for Emma, so she might begin to see him as something other than just a pirate. But I realize now that he cared more than he ever let on, about how people really saw him I mean. For a long time, most of us only ever saw him as what he showed on the outside because he was too afraid to show anything else. We saw a scoundrel and a villain. If we could have accepted him sooner, it would have helped him become the man he is now a whole lot sooner. Despite her own heartache, Emma saw the good in your brother. She convinced him he could be a part of something good and worth fighting for. Hook's done a lot for us all since then and while he sometimes puts on an act, pretending to be all smug while being the hero he is, I know that most of the time he doesn't really believe he deserves the gratitude we've shown him. Two hundred years of villainy is a long time to just forget about all of the horrible things he's done. I can only imagine how difficult it is for him to put all of his past behind him, yet he's done amazingly well. It's why I was happy and grateful Zeus returned him to us after Hook died, to Emma. And why I see him now as my son, apart from the major age difference between us of course. Your brother is a good man and I'm proud of him. I was happy to have been able to give him my daughter's hand in marriage when he asked me for it."

Liam stared at David with surprise at first upon listening to him go into so much detail of his and his brother's relationship, then he smiled and finally replied, "Thank you for sharing all that with me, David. I…"

All of a sudden, from the opposite side of the ship Grumpy called out, "Land! We're here!"

"I take it your ship is cloaked like before when you first arrived in Storybrooke?" the Prince asked as he and Liam both stared ahead at the island, while the other two men with them joined them.

"It is," the older Jones responded with concern. "We'll have the element of surprise. I just hope we can maintain the surprise and find the spring first before we run into trouble."


	27. Chapter 27

Dead Reckoning

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Other emissaries for Zeus entered the Underworld with several new souls, as they appeared before Arthur upon the rock overlooking the boiling sea that led down into the Worse Place. Upon their arrival, the former King of Camelot greeted them and then assured them that they had nothing to fear when moving on providing they lived well, or remain within the broken kingdom slowly being rebuilt after Hades' dark reign should they have any unfinished business.

One of the men among the souls looked to Arthur as he frustratingly called out, "And who are you to tell us what comes of us now? Do you get to decide where we end up?"

A woman added sternly, "What if we didn't live the lives we should have lived? What if we stole, or lied, or murdered someone? What comes of us then?"

"My name is King Arthur, formerly from the land of Camelot," he replied calmly as he looked out among the people before him. "I was killed and sent down here because of my arrogance in life. And I killed. Not just one man, but a few and I helped to destroy my own kingdom because I believed I was meant for something greater. It's thanks to a good man that I am slowly redeeming myself of my sins and one day I too will move on. But for now, I wish to help you do the same if I can. As for where you end up in your afterlife, only your choices decide your fate. You don't have to have lived perfectly to move on to a better place. You just have to have tried to be the best you could be. The Gods do forgive."

"That is a nice speech, Your Majesty," a cruel voice then sounded from amongst the crowd until he pulled himself out and stood before Arthur with a smug grin on his face. "Gods do forgive. I especially like that last part. It's funny really."

The King looked at the man in front of him with suspicion as he asked, "Who are you and why have you come here to cause contempt when all I'm trying to do is to help these people find peace."

The stranger retorted, "Except for those who don't deserve it, you mean? Those who are about to enter the Worse Place because of their vile actions in life. By the way, my name's Zagreus. I'm a God, but I'm not one of those very forgiving Gods like this King before you claims. In fact, few of us really are. Hence… the reason why I've come down here today. Hades was my father. Arthur, you remember him, don't you? You should, he did kill you after all."

"I do remember him," Arthur responded reservedly. "I won't ever forget him. He ruled the Underworld as though it was the Worse Place and fought to keep every soul trapped within their own personal Hell."

"Hades was the rightful ruler of this realm, or at least he was… until he was destroyed by those whom I'm going to tear apart and destroy in return," Zagreus answered cruelly, then turned around to face those who now coward before him as he suddenly used his power to summon a group of soldiers once enemies of Camelot, whom he ordered to escort the King and Zeus' emissaries to Hades' dungeons. "Now you've seen a tiny fraction of my power and that I can strike fear into anyone whom I wish to have fear me. A worse fate than that of King Arthur's will await you if you fail to accept the offer I'm about to propose to you. A chance to live again if you will rise up with me in a war against the heroes who murdered my father and dare to believe they have the right to live happily ever after."

Another of the men looked at the God with disbelief as he asked, "And you really have that kind of power? To bring us all back from death?"

The deity smugly replied, "With a little help from a couple of allies in the world above us… absolutely. We just need to gather us the rest of our army and then everything will be set in place. All you have to do is say yes."

"I've already murdered a few people in my life and I'm not sorry for it," one of the men finally responded coldly as he stepped out among the others and joined Zagreus by his side. "I'll join you."

"So will I," another soul added, then another and another until everyone who had been brought before the former King of Camelot all stood together.

Back above in Storybrooke…

Before the deity disappeared to gather his army, Zagreus left Bishop and his men with explicit orders and told them where they would find the portal to the Underworld so they could fulfill their end of the tasks at hand in order to for everyone to gain revenge against those who wronged them at long last.

The brute and his own band of pirates left the cave they were hiding in to make their way to where the portal stood, but when they arrived, they found one of the town's residents kneeling over the pond as he waved his hands over the waters, unknowing the man was the Dark One, the son of Pan.

Bishop and his men immediately hid themselves within the trees to avoid being seen by the stranger they saw had powers of his own, then the crew's first mate looked over at his Captain as he whispered, "What do you think he's doing, Bishop? Do you think they know what our plans are?"

Their leader kept his eyes trained on the man as he answered, "Even if they do, they cannot stop us now that we have a God fighting with us against our enemies. Get down, he is leaving."

"I can't believe this pond is an entrance to the Underworld," one of the men uttered after Gold vanished in a cloud of red smoke much like Zagreus, then followed their leader out into the clearly as they stood in front of the portal. "It doesn't look like much."

"Just wait," the brute replied smugly and knelt down on the bank's edge as he pulled out the blade Hades' son had used to cut Hook to get his blood, then dipped it into the waters in order to summon the boatman.

When the fog rolled in and Charon made his appearance, Zagreus walked towards the pirates in front of the boat, then he spoke coldly saying, "You did your part. And I've fulfilled mine. Now is when the fun begins."

Bishop watched as the boatman rowed in and the God's army of six souls became clear as the brute asked, "Is this all? Only six men and women?"

"Not even close," the deity responded, then turned as a much larger assembly of souls from the kingdom below stepped through the fog as it lifted the rest of the way and walked towards the land. "And not even the Dark One can stop us. What do you say now?"

"That I will never underestimate you again," Bishop firmly answered.


	28. Chapter 28

Dead Reckoning

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Within the Enchanted Forest…

The Evil Queen, though evil no longer, was helped down from her carriage by one of her guards, then she walked into the great hall within her castle she took over from the woman she was born from. Regina expected to find her fiancé back from his hunt. However, when she entered, she found someone she didn't expect to see again so soon, or at all without at least a formal invitation.

"There you are," Regina stated as she quickly stood up when the Queen arrived. "I've been waiting here nearly twenty minutes for you."

"Regina… please tell me you heroes didn't get yourselves trapped here in my realm again?" her doppelganger questioned as she sauntered over to her other self with her hands firmly on her hips. "To what do I owe yet another unexpected visit?"

The Queen of Storybrooke normally would have made a witty remark, but instead she responded somberly, "I wish that's all this was. I'm afraid I'm here to ask you and Robin to come back with me to Storybrooke, to help us fight against an angry God and an army of ghosts he's planning to raise from the Underworld."

Regina's other self scoffed as she retorted, "Is that all?"

"I'm sorry, I don't have time to sugarcoat it," Regina replied worryingly. "Is Robin even here?"

"I am now," the archer answered for himself while he entered the room and then took a moment to kiss the woman he loved before turning to her lookalike. "What's this about coming back with you to fight ghosts?

Regina looked between Robin and the Evil Queen strangely as she questioned, "Are the two of you… in love?"

The doppelganger stepped away from her fiancé and towards her other self as she responded with a little concern, "We're actually engaged. We were going to tell you, when the time was right. We even wanted to invite you to the wedding, but we didn't want to hurt you."

"We hope you can forgive us and understand…" Robin continued worryingly until Regina cut him off.

"You don't have to apologize," she replied sincerely. "I'm happy for you both, truly. In fact, I kind of expected it when I sent Her Majesty on her path to her own happy ending."

Regina's other self smiled as she answered, "Thank you. Now, how did you all get yourselves into a fight with another God?"

The original Regina sighed in frustration and then responded, "He's Hades' son looking for revenge against all of us for his father's death. The rest is a long story."

"The fact that Hades' son is the villain… that's enough," her doppelganger replied sternly. "You can count me in. For what Hades did to… well to the other Robin, to us, and to our sister."

"I'm in too," the archer added as he took his fiancé's hand in his own. "No evil God or an army of ghosts can scare me."

In Storybrooke…

After Emma finished explaining to Killian what was happening, not only to him, but with Zagreus and his plans for vengeance, her husband spoke despondently saying, "So… my age has come back to haunt me. A part of me always feared it might. Tell me, am I still ruggedly handsome?"

Before she could answer, more strands of his black hair turned white, then Killian suddenly gasped painfully as his face and body began to shrivel and age just as his hand had done earlier, while the green striations continued to spread beyond his chest. Despite the frailty within his hand, Emma felt his grip tighten as he struggled through his anguish, closing his eyes against the pain washing over him. Tears came to her eyes, but so long as Killian remained awake, she refused to allow them to fall even if he couldn't see her crying.

When he finally stilled, the woman who loved him gently laid her hand over his left cheek, then leaned down so that their faces were almost touching and whispered tenderly, "You will always be ruggedly handsome to me, young or old. One day we'll get there, Killian. But it won't be today, I promise. Please, just hold on."

"I swore… swore… I'd nev… never leave you… again," Killian answered weakly as he struggled to breathe.

"You're far stronger than you know," Emma responded when she laid her head down on his right shoulder as she continued to caress his cheek and thought back to the last time he had told her this.

On the eve of their engagement…

 _Despite him being in pain from what he knew was likely a few cracked and broken ribs after the beating he received from the Lost Boys in Neverland, Killian's only thought as he looked into the face of the woman he loved after all the time they had been forced apart in separate realms was remorse, as he spoke up in worry saying, "I'm sorry, Emma. I should have told you what I did to your grandfather all those years ago, and I should never, never have even considered running away."_

 _Emma placed her hand gently over his chest as she kept her eyes on his and genuinely replied, "It's okay. I didn't exactly make it easy for you to tell me the truth. Come on. Let's get you cleaned up."_

 _"No," he quickly retorted and winced while he struggled to pull out the engagement ring he kept close to his heart within the inside pocket of his leather jacket, then held it up for Emma to see again like he had done before. "No. There's something I have to do before I get pushed into another portal. And this time… I'm gonna do it the right way."_

 _His love for her radiated in his eyes while they continued to look at one another as he continued, "Swan… and I know… that you face an uncertain future, but there's one thing that I want you to be certain of… that I will always, always be by your side."_

 _Emma chuckled happily as a tear slipped from the corner of her eye to the floor, then watched as he knelt down before her, raised his head to look into her eyes again and lovingly asked, "So… Emma Swan… what do you say? Will you marry me?"_

 _"Yes," she answered happily, kneeling down with him while she laid her hands on his shoulders, then moved them to both sides of his face as he chortled and she finally leaned in close to kiss him in tenderness._

"I'm gonna make sure you can keep your promise," she continued again when she broke free from her thoughts and then looked down at her husband again as she smiled. "Killian, in all the years you lived in Neverland, did you ever hear of the brand this brute used on you?"

He weakly shook his head while he responded, "Never. If I ha… had, I might… have gone after it my… self. Swan, could… you ask Liam to… come in? I'd… like to speak with him, before I can't any longer."

Knowing her husband wouldn't like what she was about to tell him, Emma looked away from him ashamedly as she replied, "He's not here right now. He traveled with Dad, Leroy, and Morgan to Neverland. We haven't discovered how to cure the striations and your aging yet, but Gold told us we could at least cure the burns from the brand and hopefully the gash in your arm using the waters from the island's spring. I know…"

"No… no," Killian uttered, suddenly becoming agitated as he struggled to sit up again despite his condition until her husband slowly drifted off into an uncomfortable sleep, his speech becoming more and more incoherent while he did so. "How could y… you send… send them to that infer… infernal island again? Your father… Violet's… Not fo… for me."

"I wish you would understand that we would all risk everything to protect you, just as we would everyone else," she whispered again. "Even endure Neverland all over again."

Emma fell silent as she listened and watched his chest rise and fall while he struggled to breathe. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before the aging continued again and Emma had to stifle a gasp when his cheekbones, as well as the bones in his upper chest slowly began to protrude through his skin.

Killian let out a soft whimper and Emma knew that while he was more asleep than unconscious, he was far too weak to awaken despite the anguish he was suffering. Inside, the Savior wanted to break down and scream. However, she understood he needed her to be strong for him and so instead, she continued to hold him as she softly began to sing.

 _"_ _Once we lived in darkness_

 _Out there on our own_

 _Left to brave the world_

 _Alone_

 _Everything seemed hopeless_

 _No chance to break free_

 _Couldn't hear the song inside of…"_

Emma broke from the song still inside of her, having changed a few of the words since she wasn't the only one who had lived most of her life alone and feeling so hopeless, suddenly becoming overwhelmed by the emotions swirling around within her while tears began to fall from her eyes. When she finally regained control of her emotions, she continued to sing just as quietly, only she sang the song she and her true love sang together at their wedding, one of the happiest moments of her life.

 _"Tomorrow is uncertain_

 _Who knows what it will bring_

 _But one thing is for sure, love_

 _With you, I have everything_

 _And happily ever after_

 _Is the way these stories go_

 _Used to think that's what I wanted_

 _But now I finally know_

 _There's no storm we can't outrun_

 _We will always find the sun_

 _Leave the past and all its scars_

 _A happy beginning now is ours…"_

At last, Killian stilled as he began to sleep more peacefully and although the gentleness of her voice while she sang to him appeared to soothe his discomfort a little as it could, it didn't do much to soothe her own restlessness and anger towards the villains who caused her husband's suffering.

Emma gently laid Killian's hand and arm back down on the bed, leaned down to tenderly kiss his lips, then stood again as she walked out of the hospital room. Those still with them rose when their Savior left her husband's side. However, before she spoke with them, the Savior turned back to face the glass walls and door, then waved her hands to place the most powerful protection spell she could conjure over the room so that no evil could break though. She just hoped her magic was powerful enough to keep out the deity hellbent on revenge.

Before Snow could ask her daughter what she had in mind, the Savior stated firmly, "I can't just stand by doing nothing any longer. It's time we take this fight to them. I'm not comfortable with waiting for them to attack us first anyways."

Emma tuned to Happy and Doc, who remained behind after Grumpy left with David and the others to go to Neverland, then she continued, "I need you and the rest of the dwarfs to remain here to stand guard over Killian like you did for my mother while she was trapped under her fist sleeping curse. Can you do that for me?"

"Of course," Doc answered assuredly. "But should that God return, or the brute who first attacked him… Grumpy is really the only one of us comfortable in a fight and we have no magic to fight them with."

"Don't worry, we do have magic and we're here to help in any way we can," Blue responded as she and three more of the fairies walked down the corridor towards them. "I'll join in the fight while the rest of us will help the dwarfs to keep your husband safe, Emma. They will also keep the children safe. Neal, Gideon, Robin, Henry, Violet…"

The Savior immediately pulled the Blue Fairy into a hug to show her gratitude and then she replied, "Thank you."

Snow then asked, "All right, but we don't even know where these villains are hiding."

"We might not, but Gold can find them," Emma answered and then she looked around at everyone standing around her. "I know we're about to fight in another battle that might be the most difficult we've ever faced together. I also know that the reason all of this is happening is because of decisions both Killian and I have made, selfish or not. I have no right to ask any of you for help in fighting against these villains, but I can't… I can't do this alone. So please, will you stand with me and help me to save my husband?"

"We all fight for the ones we love against all odds," Regina said steadfastly when she entered the hall and walked towards them, followed closely by her other self and Robin Hood from the Wish Realm, while everyone nodded in agreement with their Queen, showing Emma that they were all once again willing to stand with their Savior again against those trying to destroy them. "We're all with you, Emma. Lead the way."


	29. Chapter 29

Dead Reckoning

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Once David, Liam, Morgan, and Leroy stepped down on dry land after rowing to shore from the Jewel of the Realm, they each quickly lit their torches they had brought over with them so they could see through the darkness, then pulled their weapons of choice to have them at the ready in case of an attack from the Lost Boys as they cautiously made their way into the forest now surrounding them, allowing the older Jones to lead them. David carried with him his sword and his old service weapon he had given to Hook when Killian took over as sheriff with Emma, having found it on the ground after his son-in-law dropped it in his fight against Bishop. The former Knight of Camelot also brought his own sword, and Liam his own cutlass, while Grumpy carried with him his pickaxe and a club.

Silence fell over the men while they walked until Leroy finally spoke up as he asked, "How the hell did Hook stand living here for over two hundred years? I've barely been here twenty minutes and I already can't stand it."

David smiled as he glanced over at his old friend, then answered grimly, "You would do it if you felt the same need for revenge as he did. Or if someone you care about is depending on you being here to save his life. Why else did you come?"

"Fine… you're probably right, but that doesn't mean I'm going to be anything other than myself so long as we are stuck here," Grumpy responded curtly.

"I wouldn't expect you to be," the Prince replied with understanding. "Luckily we won't have to stay any longer than it will take us to find the magical spring and then get back to the ship, provided we don't run into any trouble."

Liam continued to use his blade to cut through the brush in the way of their pay while he asked quietly, "Exactly how bad are these Lost Boys really? Pan was the only one here at the time Killian and I came. Not even he was as bad as you've said back then."

As the Naval Captain looked back at his friends behind him, Charming sighed and then answered, "Honestly, according to your brother they're far worse than the boys we brought home with us. Hook became trapped here again not too long ago when another villain we faced tried to keep him and Emma apart by banishing him to another world through a curse. He first wound up in the Enchanted Forest, but when he managed to get himself a magic bean in hope it would get him back home, the bean transported Hook here instead. The Lost Boys captured him when he fought them in trying to get a weapon back Emma that would help her in her own battle at home. Emma used a rare kind of magic to find Hook again and as she did so, these boys were about to burn him at a stake. Out of revenge for his role in Pan's death."

"I see," Liam stated in frustration, then remained quiet while he kept slashing the brushes and trees until they at last found themselves at the bottom of the mountain now towering above them that Killian had said was known as Deadman's Peak. "The spring is up there. As are the dreamshade plants that killed me."

"To reach the waters, we'll need to cut our way through the dreamshade that stands in front of it to keep anyone away," David worryingly responded. "Or at least one of us will."

The older Jones immediately replied, "I'll do it. I'll climb up there and get the water we need to help save my brother. I'm already dead. I can get through fast and easy, and without having to worry about being cut by the deadly thorns. The rest of you can wait down here."

The Prince laid a hand down on Liam's shoulder to stop him when he started towards the rocks ahead and in objection he said, "It's a good idea for you to collect the water, but we're all coming up there with you. We need to stay together. Besides, we can't let you do all the work. It wouldn't be right. Not to mention that if we do happen to come under attack, we could use your help to fight the Lost Boys, or anything else that might be haunting this island."

"All right, then we climb," Liam answered, then once again led the way as the four men began their ascent up the mountain.

Their climb was slow and difficult as they made their way to the top. David thought back to his own climb the first time he had done it and while it been more difficult for him then due to the poison spreading through his body, this climb wasn't a whole lot easier. He remembered watching Hook climb up ahead of him as well and realized that it surely couldn't have been easy doing so with only one hand, even if he did have a hook he could use to catch himself in case he slipped. It was the same with their climb up the beanstalk at the time of the final battle. David knew that he had underestimated Hook both times, as he's underestimated in almost every way ever since they first met. He knew then that he was going to have to apologize for doing so once they finally save his life.

"How are you feeling, Sir Morgan?" Charming asked his friend after they all reached the top at last and struggled to get their breathing back under control, then turned his head to glance at the others as well. "Leroy? Liam? Are you guys feeling alright?"

The Knight nodded, until he was finally able to talk as he responded, "I'm about as well… as can be expected. I'm a warrior. Not really that much of a climber I'm afraid."

The dwarf scoffed as he replied, "And I work in the mines looking for diamonds, pixie dust, and do other odd jobs. I can't believe I actually volunteered to come here."

"You were the one who said you wanted to get out of Storybrooke," the Prince retorted smugly, then he turned around to look ahead of him at the deadly dreamshade plants baring their way to the magical spring behind them. "Whatever you do, don't touch the thorns. Gold said it isn't easy to make the cure for the cure and Hook's going to need all of it so that he won't die after all of our efforts to save him. We can't risk needing it ourselves."

"Don't worry, you won't be needing it because you won't ever be leaving Neverland," a boy appearing to be of Henry's age answered cruelly as he and several more of Pan's followers appeared and surrounded the heroes upon the peak, where there was hardly any room for an all-out fight without risk of being cut by the poisonous plants. "You won't be alive long enough to try."

David, Grumpy, Sir Morgan, and Liam quickly pulled their weapons again while the Savior's father spoke pleadingly saying, "Please… we haven't come here to fight you. We just need a little of the water from the spring behind the dreamshade in order to save a friend's life. As soon as we get it, we will leave and never come back."

Another of the boys who appeared to be more in charge than the rest glared at David as he chortled and then responded, "Yeah… we heard who you are trying to save. Hook managed to escape from us when some woman appeared through a magical door and rescued him. He deserves to die here on the island he despises so much. But at least so long as we don't let you so-called heroes get away, then at least he'll die wherever he is now."

"Are you the leader here?" Liam asked the boy calmly, though inside he was seething over the cruel words spoken against his brother. "At least tell us your name."

"Our only leader was Pan," he replied in anger. "But I go by the name, Ace. We recognize the one appearing to be your leader. He came here with more of you and Hook to rescue the boy, then murdered Pan. The rest of you have never been here I'm guessing?"

The older Jones answered, "Then you'd be wrong. I came here to this island even before any of you did. Along with my brother, you and most others now call Hook. I nearly died here. And then I died for good once we returned to our own land, not realizing the price of your spring's water."

Ace looked at the ghost strangely as he questioned, "You're… you're Hook's brother? You don't look anything like him. If you're really dead, then how are you here now?"

"I'm here for my brother," Liam responded firmly. "We all are. That's all you need know. If you really want to fight, then let's get on with it."

"Be careful of their arrows!" David quickly called out to Morgan and Leroy as the battle between the heroes and Lost Boys suddenly began when a few of Pan's followers charged the four men with their handmade spears, while a couple of arrows flew just past their heads. "They're tipped with dreamshade. Don't let one of them scratch you either."

While David fought against Ace and another of the boys using his sword only to defend himself and not to strike them down unless it was necessary to do so, as Sir Morgan did the same, Grumpy fought off one of the bigger of them with his axe, suddenly using it to cut into a boulder above one of their heads as he swung high so that the debris would fall and knock the boy unconscious, then charged against another when a boy attempted to kill the Knight from behind. Liam fought three more with his own blade until one of them succeeded in knocking it from his hand when he thrust his spear right through Liam's chest. However, the Lost Boy stepped back in fear when the brother of their old enemy didn't fall or even appeared to be hurt and he, as well the rest of the boys knew Liam was a ghost just as he said. The older man touched the staff sticking out of him as the spear then dissipated thanks to the small amount of power granted to him by Zeus to help him in his endeavors, then he continued to fight.

Ace suddenly knocked David to his knees with a blow to the back of his right knee and Leroy cried out as the other boy his friend was trying to hold off as well was about to strike him down with a blow to his head, until all of a sudden an arrow flew through the air between the rest of those fighting as the projectile struck its target through the back of the boy's shoulder, causing him to collapse to the ground in agony and scream. Ace continued striking out at David until two more arrows flew by, one of which struck the rock just next to Ace's head and bounced off, while the other gazed the leader's arm. Finally, Ace whistled to get the rest of the Lost Boys attentions and shouted at them to retreat. All of them started to run, as two stopped to grabbed the boy who had been wounded, then followed close behind.

The Prince immediately turned to look to each of his friends once the danger appeared to be clear, as no more arrows flew by nor any threat could be seen, and asked, "Is everyone alright? Are any of you hurt?"

Morgan looked himself over to make sure, then replied, "Other than being a bit winded and exhausted, I'm fine."

"Leroy… you good?" David continued.

"I'm more than good," the dwarf answered smugly. "It's about time I've been in a good fight like that one. But who on earth fired those arrows? If they were aiming to kill, they're not a very good shot."

Grumpy turned his back to the boy he thought he had knocked out with the rocks until the enemy rose behind him in an attempt to kill the dwarf, but before he could, a blow dart suddenly struck the Lost Boys' neck and he truly lost consciousness this time, then the stranger who had saved him stepped out into the open and stood among them as she responded curtly, "It's because I am that they're not dead. And neither are you."

Three of the men stared at the woman before them while David recognized who she was by her clothes and upon remembering his daughter's suggestion to find this woman, he looked at her as he asked, "I take it you're Tiger Lily?"

"That's right… I am," the Indian Fairy replied strongly and then looked between the four strangers to the island herself as she determined whether or not she could trust them. "Who are you? Are you really here to find something to help you save Hook?"

"We are," Charming answered steadfastly as he sheathed his sword, while the others finally lowered their own weapons as well. "He's our friend. And he's also my son-in-law. Hook was wounded in a fight by an old enemy from here. The weapon used on him is draining all of the years he spent here in Neverland, killing him very slowly and painfully. We came for the waters from this spring to heal the burns, but…"

She suddenly interrupted, "This weapon… was it an ancient steel brand?"

Liam quickly responded, "It is. Do you know of it? Can you help my brother?"

"You're Liam Jones," Tiger Lily stated without question as she turned to face him as if she was looking for similar features that matched Killian's. "Killian told me about you, a long time ago. Yes, I know of the brand. And these waters will heal the burns, but if you want to stop the steel's power and restore his youth before he's too far gone, then you have to destroy it. However, the only way to do that is to destroy it within the fires that forged it long ago… before it drains Hook of his youth completely. Do you have it with you?"

"It's still in the hands of the brute who did this to him, in our own realm," David replied with concern. "Our families and friends are about to fight in a great battle against not only the man who hurt Hook, but also a God who blames us for the former God of the Underworld's death, and his army of souls he pulled out from the Underworld. We've been busy."

The Fairy without her wings nodded in understanding while she answered, "Yes, you have. There's no way you will have to time to return to your land, find the brand, then travel back here to Skull Rock where the fires reside. Which means you need a way to take enough of the fire back with you."

Leroy looked at her skeptically as he asked, "Can you really do that?"

"My people have never done so because they've never had a need, but long ago I was told of a spell which when cast it can expel the fires into a vessel," she responded and then looked towards the spring. "Gather your water quickly. We need to get down to Skull Rock. Hopefully we will be in time to save Hook."

"We will," David replied strongly. "We have to."


	30. Chapter 30

Dead Reckoning

Chapter Thirty

Meanwhile, back in Storybrooke…

"Miss. Swan… you all appear to be here with a definitive purpose," Gold said sternly when he looked up at the Savior when she, Snow White, Regina, hers and her former boyfriend's doppelganger, and August all walked into his shop prepared for the coming battle. "I see you've recruited a few others that will be helpful in our endeavor to save this town and the Captain. I take it the time has come?"

"We're taking the fight to them," Emma replied crossly as she looked between the Dark One and Belle as the beauty continued to work on the cure for the waters from Neverland. "I can't just wait any longer. I can't just watch Killian wither away in front of me without doing everything I can do to save him. The fairies and the dwarfs are all at the hospital guarding Killian and the children. Henry, Neal, Robin, Violet… They can protect Belle and Gideon too."

Belle looked up from her task at hand as she stated, "I'm almost finished here. I think. Or at least I hope. If I've made it correctly, this potion will counteract the spring waters."

Emma smiled sadly as she answered, "Thank you. Thank you both."

"Gold, we were hoping you would be able to find them for us," she continued as she turned back to the shopkeeper. "You said earlier that they were hiding out in a cave within the woods somewhere. Can you be more specific?"

"Uh… Emma, I don't think he's going to have to," August answered nervously while he looked out the window down the street as far as he could see, as Archie and Marco both charged into the shop with concern on their faces.

The psychiatrist quickly spoke up saying, "They're coming. An entire army, being led by a God looking stranger and a brutish boy about Henry's age… maybe a little younger."

Emma rushed over to the window and looked towards them as well and then responded, "That would be Killian's assailant. The bastard who is stealing his life away."

"It appears they've come to us first," the Dark One replied and then turned back to his wife standing behind the counter where she was working. "If you're finished, I will transport you and our son to the hospital where you will be safe too. Like Emma said. I want you to stay there. Do you understand?"

"Of course I do," she answered sadly, quickly handed Emma the vial she finishing pouring the elixir in, then moved closer to her husband and kissed him. "I want to stay and help in this fight, but I also have to do what's right for our son. I will stay at the hospital. Just be careful."

Her husband smiled and then responded, "I always am."

Gold finally turned back to the Savior and the others as Regina summoned Pandora's Box into her hands and handed it back to him, then he nodded while he said firmly, "I suppose we ought to face them then. This battle is happening now whether we're prepared or not."

"We're as prepared as we ever will be," Snow replied in frustration, then pulled her bow from over her shoulders and an arrow from the quiver she was now wearing on her back. "It's time."

"Come on," Emma stated in frustration and then opened the door to leave, followed closely by everyone else once Gold used his magic to transport Belle and their son to the hospital.

The Savior walked out among all of those from the town to join with her in the battle, overwhelmed by gratitude for the number of people willing to risk their lives for her and the man she loved, then stepped out to stand on the front line for once the fight began while she looked out among everyone. Zelena stood with both her sisters and Robin Hood, Blue stood with Granny who was there with her crossbow, as were Prince Phillip, Prince Thomas, Clorinda and her husband Jacob, Maleficent and Lily, Frederick and Abigail, Smee and the rest of Killian's former crew, all of Liam's crew, Anton, and Keith the former Sheriff of Nottingham. Archie, August, Marco, Snow, and Gold each took their places among them as everyone looked to Emma to lead them. Then, those who had powers of their own stepped out to stand beside Emma in defense of those who didn't.

Instead of making any more of a speech than she had done in the hospital, the Savior simply spoke with sincerity saying, "Thank you. All of you."

When they all finally turned to face Zagreus, Bishop, and their own army, the deity was the first one to talk as he uttered, "This is really your army? You have a few powerful allies among you, but how do you expect to beat dozens of angry souls from the Underworld… and me?"

"You should never judge a book by its cover," Emma retorted coldly and then turned her head to glare at the brute she knew was thirty or so years older a short time ago. "You're looking pretty good for an old man."

"I feel pretty good, all thanks to Captain Hook and the youth draining from his body," Bishop cruelly answered her with an evil grin on his face. "He helped to steal my youth from me long ago. It is only fair that I steal back what is rightfully mine."

The Savior raised her hands emitting her powers from them as she angrily responded, "I'll be damned if I let you take him from me! I won't let you do this. Not any of you!"

The son of Hades scoffed and then replied, "Let's just see which of our armies are stronger, hmmm? Let's fight."

All of a sudden, the army of the dead charged the heroes as everyone began battle against the opposite sides, and while doing so, the Evil Queen quickly blasted two of the brute's pirate friends who attempted to go against her, then continued fighting some of the dead men as she spoke to her other self calling out, "Try not to get yourself killed today! If you die, I die… remember?"

"I know!" Regina shouted back, striking down Bishop's first mate with her magic as she turned him into a bug, then crushed him under the heal of her red stiletto heal when he attempted to kill Zelena, who was busy fighting against one of the souls she had killed some time ago in Oz using a sword that Robin had given her to fight with now that she no longer had her own powers. "Believe me, that's not something I will ever forget."

"Can we not focus on the sisterly squabbles and just on these pests, please?" the witch retorted in frustration, though she had seen what Regina had done and quickly nodded her thanks as the original Queen just smiled.

While Robin fired two arrows to kill another of the pirates on the opposite side, the other at one of the dead to save August, Emma blasted back several of the souls at once with her powers, then quickly pulled out the sword with a ruby embedded into its hilt, which had killed her during her final battle with Gideon and the Black Fairy, as she charged against Bishop who fought her with his own sword and axe. The Savior knocked the sword from his hands with another gust of magic, then they continued as their sword and axe clashed.

August, Blue, and Granny kept close so they could defend Archie and Marco, both of whom were not fighters by any means, but both felt strongly about standing with Emma and all of those they loved for their friend lying in the hospital, their Savior who fought every day to bring them their happy endings, and for Storybrooke. The two older men only fought with a cane and an umbrella, which they carried with them whenever they left their homes and places of business. Gold, Maleficent, and Lily fought against the army from the Underworld alongside others who didn't have magic either, but who also fought with their own weapons. All of this went on, while Zagreus stood back to watch with glee, in the smug belief that the heroes will fall.

Taking out Bishop's men was easy and none of them lasted long against Hook's own band of pirates. Unfortunately, whenever one of the God's soldiers fell however, they quickly rose back to their feet and continued to charge because the dead could not be killed twice. Thankfully, there were several dead men fighting for the heroes as well. But while the villains' numbers dwindled as those who could be killed were killed, they only appeared to keep getting stronger so long as the battle raged on within the middle of the wide open street.

The Dark One fired his power at several more enemies, when he was unexpectedly struck from behind by the deity as Zagreus at last joined in the fight, moving in to strike against one of the heroes' strongest warriors, if not the strongest on account of his immortality. Neither being could kill the other. Gold immediately stood tall again, but failed to realize that when he fell, his dagger had fallen out of his coat pocket. The God saw it first and swiftly used his magic to summon the blade Gold was tethered to into his hand.

Rumple staggered back in fear upon seeing that he had lost it, but just as Zagreus was about to give the Dark One an order to kill, an arrow suddenly sailed through the air, striking the dagger and causing it to fall to the ground again, after which Gold swiftly took it back using his power to make it disappear, then reappear within his own hand. Both immortals turned to see Prince Charming with a bow in his hand until he handed it back to the Indian woman beside him, then together they, Grumpy, Liam, and Sir Morgan all continued running towards their friends and loved ones to join in as well.

"You can thank me later," David said upon glancing at Gold once he reached his wife as they quickly embraced and the older man simply nodded.

While the Dark One held his dagger in his hands, it was then that he got an idea and raised the blade out in front of him, but before he enacted his power again, he quickly turned to Liam as he called out, "Jones… I suggest you and your men go back to the hospital to wait for our return. You won't want to be here for what I'm about to do. You won't be needed in this fight any longer."

Liam looked over at David for confirmation and Emma's father, as he fought against two more souls who charged him while his wife fought against another, answered, "It's all right. You can trust him. Go!"

"Men!" the older Jones shouted as he relented and then looked for his crew amongst the battle. "Return to the Underworld and find Arthur. In case he isn't aware that a number of souls have escaped, he ought to be informed. Go now!"

They all quickly did as their Captain told them to do as they vanished, while Liam did the same so he could get back to the hospital to his brother. When they were gone, Gold looked down at his dagger again as red smoke engulfed the blade until his dark magic finally dissipated to reveal Excalibur once again, the Dark One now having the power to transform the dagger into its entirety whenever it was needed. As he raised the sword above his head, a small cry was heard from behind him and he turned to watch as Archie fell to the ground, having been stabbed in his stomach by one of the souls who had tried to kill Marco seconds earlier until the doctor pushed his oldest friend out of the way to protect him.

"Gold… whatever you're gonna do, just do it already and get this battle over with," the Queen from the Enchanted Forest spoke forcefully as she blasted two more dead men back in order to make her way to the wounded man's side so she could help him. "I'll take care of the cricket."

Marco and August both were kneeling above Archie when Regina's doppelganger came over to them, while Rumplestiltskin appeared once more beside the Dark One as he uttered smugly, "Do you really believe you have the power to do what you're about to do? Hook could barely hold the other Dark Ones in for a couple of minutes before he had to hand it over to his lover, just before she thrust that blade through his chest and broken heart. Remember, you still have a God to defeat as well."

Gold glanced over at the devil on his shoulder through the corner of his eyes and responded quietly, "We'll just have to see… won't we."

All of a sudden, just as Hook had done to the Dark Ones that dark night he had died, the Dark One closed his eyes and summoned all of the souls of the Underworld into Excalibur as they all cried out for help. The God among the heroes screamed in anger and attempted to strike Rumple down while he struggled against the strain, though it wasn't as difficult for him as it had been for Hook, as Gold had the power of every Dark One from before within him to help him now. However, Regina, the Blue Fairy, and Maleficent all quickly stood between Rumple and Zagreus and expelled their own powers to create a force field before them in order to give him the time he needed. They knew they wouldn't last long against the God, but so long Gold succeeded, it would be enough.

And succeeded he did when he finally lowered the sword again, when the three women were suddenly knocked off their feet as they flew back through the air until they each landed hard against the ground. Snow and David ran to Blue's side, while Zelena and Regina's doppelganger rushed over to their sister once she finished healing Archie, and Lily to her mother. All that remained standing for the villains were Hades' son and Bishop, as the battle neared its end. However, Emma was also suddenly forced back off her feet by a hard blow against her chest by the brute despite him only being a teenager again, with the size and strength of two men. Tiger Lily quickly tethered her bow and fired an arrow in order to protect the Savior, but Zagreus immediately blew the projectile into pieces before it struck its target.

Thankfully the Indian Fairy's momentary distraction gave Emma the time she needed to stand again, then she immediately summoned as much strength within her and forced it outward, knocking Bishop into one of the street lights nearby rendering him unconscious. The deity was able to stand his ground while he fought to break off the light magic still beating against him as she continued to emit her power. Upon seeing their Savior weakening, Regina and her other self, Blue, and Maleficent all moved in to stand beside her as they too released their magic within them and forced it back against the God. Zagreus stumbled back a little, but he wasn't about to lose as he strengthened his own release, causing the women to falter, but not to fall.

Lily quickly joined in with her mother, while the rest of those who joined in the fight stepped forward as they followed David's and Snow's example and laid their hands down on their loved ones shoulders to give those with the power even more strength than they already had. In the meantime, Gold summoned Pandora's Box into his hands, then got as close to Zagreus as he could without being caught in the middle of both powers and finally opened it in order to pull the deity inside like he had done to Pan, or Henry rather unknowing they had switched bodies at the time, and as Pan had done to him back in Neverland. Hades' son screamed with rage as he struggled against the powers being forced at him and the magic pulling him inside the box, but when the Dark One raised one hand to add his own dark magic in with the rest of the heroes' powers, it was enough. Zagreus was finally defeated as he became trapped within Pandora's Box per the Savior's suggestion and the heroes won again.

Everyone either collapsed to the ground in exhaustion or simply doubled over while they fought to get their breathing back under control, but Emma didn't waste any time as she stood over the still unconscious brute and pulled him over onto his stomach so she could grab the steel brand she had seen within the quiver he wore on his back, then quickly glanced over at her parents before running back towards the hospital to get back to the man she loved. The Charmings, Tiger Lily, Leroy, and Sir Morgan were the first to follow after her, then a few others did the same including Regina and her other self, Robin, Zelena, August, Archie, Marco, Anton, Blue, and Gold, while the rest either remained or returned home to recuperate.

When everyone arrived, both Henry and Violet happily raced over to their parents to embrace them upon seeing they had survived, while Emma rushed into the room upon seeing Dr. Whale leaning over her husband again as he was using his stethoscope to listen to his heart until he saw the Savior enter the room. Neither she nor her mother could stifle their gasp this time as she saw how much more Killian's body had deteriorated since she had left him nearly an hour ago. Were it not for the ring that matched her own, the lack of his hand, or the fear that gripped her heart upon seeing him, Emma wouldn't have recognized him. The bones within his face, chest, arms, and his hand could be seen protruding from beneath his extremely pale skin, the green striations had risen past his neck and into the lower half of his face, as well as below his stomach, and all of his hair had turned to white. Liam stood away from his brother's bed and stared at David when they entered while tears fell from his eyes.

"I'll never know how, but Hook's still with us," Whale uttered despondently as he slowly rose when they came in. "Barely. He's more of a corpse than he is alive. His heart is barely beating and his vital signs are beyond weak. Unless you can save him right now…"

"We defeated the God and the bastard who did this," Emma interrupted as she struggled to hold back her own tears falling down her cheeks as well, then quickly raised the brand in her hand and the vile Belle had given her at the pawnshop. "But I… I'm not sure how to…"

Tiger Lily slipped through the crowd of people and stepped in front of Emma as she took the brand from her, then replied, "If you'll allow me, I can help you to save him."

The Savior stared at her while she answered, "You're Tiger Lily. I saw you… when I came through the doorway to Neverland so I could save Killian then. He briefly fought to help you to escape from the Lost Boys before following me back through."

"That's right," the Indian Fairy responded as she raised the ancient steel before her, then looked between those who most loved him. "I saw a different man in Hook that night, then the man I knew long ago. He was changed. Good and foolishly brave, yet broken. He fought to get back to you more than anyone's ever fought to protect someone they've loved, without becoming a great evil as Fiona had when she fought for her son. Hook has become a true hero, something I never believed possible and that is why I've come."

"What can I do?" Emma asked while she looked down at Killian again, wiping away the tears from her eyes the best she could.

The other woman smiled sadly and replied, "Lay your hand gently over his chest above his heart and pour all of your healing power and love you have for him into him. Then, allow me to do the rest. Is the man who touched the brand to Hook here?"

Robin and Grumpy pushed their way through everyone as they pulled Bishop into the room with them, then shoved the brute to the floor as Regina stepped forward and used her magic to conjure chains around him to keep him from fighting. Then, while Emma emitted her power into Killian like the Indian woman told her to do, as Tiger Lily raised the brand higher and suddenly, yet carefully blew out a breath of fire as if she were a dragon like Maleficent and Lily, and the flames consumed the brand until it disintegrated into a pile of ash on the floor at her feet.

Doing so caused her to collapse to the floor as the fire burning up within her was finally expelled from her body, having taken it into herself while she and the heroes were still in Neverland to serve as a vessel for the flames. David immediately rushed to her to help her, then everyone turned to the villain when he began to gasp in pain and they all saw his body begin to age again. Emma turned her attention back on Killian, as did Liam and everyone else, and all of a sudden, the youth that had been drained from his body began to be restored while the deadly striations slowly faded. The older Jones finally let out a sigh of relief upon seeing the youth being expelled from Bishop and returned to his brother, while Emma fell into the chair at his bedside as she began to cry again, though this time it was more out of liberation and joy than grief.

While everyone watched the magic work to save Killian, Snow finally spoke again with happiness saying quietly, "Look at that. We did it."

Once Killian was healed enough so he was no longer so frail, as the handsomeness of his face slowly returned and the true black of his hair overshadowed the white, Liam pulled the flask containing the magical waters from Neverland and gently lifted his brother's head to pour the waters past his lips in order to heal the burns, as well as the gash left behind by the God from his earlier attack. Emma then did the same with the elixir Belle had made in order to counteract the price to be paid from one drinking from the dark island's spring.

"We'll leave so that the two of you can be with him alone," David said quietly to both Emma and Liam, as he and his wife gently helped Tiger Lily to stand, while everyone else finally left the room.

"I want to thank you, Emma," the older Jones whispered, even though his brother had yet to awaken while he continued to heal. "Were it not for you and your family's vigor to fight for Killian, I would have had to take him back with me to the Underworld and honestly… I'm not so sure he would have been able to move on even this time. He truly loves you wholeheartedly and you're everything to him. I've seen how broken he is without you."

Emma tenderly caressed her husband's face while she kept her eyes on him, but answered, "I'm just as lost and broken without him, even though I do have the rest of my family here with me."

Liam finally sat down across from her and then responded, "Yes, but it isn't just that. Despite both of our efforts to try to help him to forgive himself for his entire past, especially because it keeps returning to haunt him, Killian never has. He has a little thanks to you. However, I fear he never will fully. We can all say two hundred years is a long time, but none of us lived it… except for the Dark One actually. That's not the point. My point is…"

"Believe me, I understand exactly what you mean," the Savior sadly replied. "Killian was still a villain nearly four years ago. While we all know it's impossible to change and learn how to forgive ourselves in a matter of days for a few short years of mistakes, surely it's even more impossible to forgive oneself in a few years after centuries of living the life he did. It will take a long time, but one day he will be able to forgive himself for all of it. And I'm going to help him."

"Can I ask you something?" he asked. "When was it you first saw the good in Killian? I mean the very first time, even if you didn't trust him just yet?"

She raised her head to look over at Liam after she thought for a moment and then answered, "Actually, it wasn't necessarily anything he said… at first. It was more of a look he gave me. A look of complete trust in me… until I was the first one to break that trust. Killian and I had just finished climbing a beanstalk to a giants' castle, where we first met Anton who was helping us earlier, as we were looking for a magical compass to help me and my mother get back home."

 _The Savior's thoughts drifted off to an earlier time between her and Killian when she had hurt him then as she had done so now, remembering as she pulled Hook out from under the debris within the giants' castle after Anton had awakened and charged at them while she whispered, "Hook."_

 _"You are bloody brilliant," the Pirate Captain responded as he laughed. "Amazing. May I see it? The compass."_

 _"It's more beautiful than legend," he continued when Emma held the compass out for him to see until she suddenly grew suspicious of Hook's motives as he started to reach out to take it from her, then Emma withdrew her hand and quickly pocketed the compass. "Come. Let's go."_

 _Killian chuckled again as he extended his hand to her in order to help her up, but instead of taking it, Emma immediately grabbed hold of a shackle lying on the ground nearby and swiftly chained Hook to the wall by his wrist, then backed away from him out of fear of his reaction while he looked at her in confusion as he stood up after her while he asked, "What are you doing? What are you doing?"_

 _"Hook, I…," Emma struggled to reply as she turned away for a moment out of guilt upon seeing the hurt in his eyes. "I… I can't…"_

 _"Emma, look at me," Killian pleaded with her. "Have I told you a lie? I brought you here. I risked my own safety to help you. The compass is in your hand. Why do this to me now?"_

 _She turned back to him and answered worryingly, "I can't take a chance that I'm wrong about you. I'm sorry."_

The Savior finished sharing what happened between them, then she spoke again saying, "I knew I was wrong to leave him chained up there the moment I did it. I won't ever forget that moment. And though I've apologized to Killian for doing that to him, I'm not so sure I've forgiven myself."

"But clearly he has," Liam responded with a smile. "As he has for everything else you might still blame yourself for."

"All sins can be forgiven when someone loves you," Emma whispered. "Killian told me that to show me he still loved me, despite me being a Dark One. One day he will believe that about himself."


	31. Chapter 31

Dead Reckoning

Chapter Thirty-One

Later that evening after the battle was over with and things back in town were slowly returning to normal, Gold and Belle walked along the beach together while she carried their son in her arms. For awhile, they walked in peaceful silence as they enjoyed listening to the sounds surrounding them. They spoke little of what occurred during the war against the God and other villains. Then at last, the beauty's husband found the courage he needed as he told Belle the truth about seeing the dark side of him, and having seen Rumplestiltskin ever since the night of the final battle when he struggled to save Gideon.

When he finished as they stood still, Belle leaned over to kiss her husband on his cheek and then spoke up quietly saying, "I'm proud of you, Rumple. A few years ago, no… not even a few months ago, you never would have told me you were being haunted by your past self. And now that I know, you no longer have to fight against this demon alone. I will help you. When you see him again, whenever you see him, tell me. We will get rid of him together as I've helped you to do before we came here to Storybrooke. Emma and Killian both did it. We can do it too and perhaps we will one day find another way to rid you of the darkness once and for all."

Gold smiled at her and nodded, then responded, "One day. Now, you both should get back home. It's a little chilly out here this evening. Go get yourself and our son warm and I will be along soon. There's something I have to do first."

"All right," she answered and leaned in again to kiss him, then when she pulled back Rumple traced his finger along Gideon's face until Belle turned to walk away. "Just don't be too long."

Rumple watched her until she was no longer in sight, then he turned back to the ocean and looked along the beach until he found what it was he expected he'd find. He knelt down on the ground and worked to pry up the piece of wood buried within the sand and seaweed that washed up from the waters along with it. Then he raised his head to look far out over the ocean once more in a specific direction until someone else walked up from behind him and stopped when he was standing beside Gold, someone Gold didn't expect would come out to see him.

"That's a piece of the Jolly Roger you're holding," Liam uttered sternly. "I never got the chance to get to know her nearly as well as Killian, but… I would know one of her planks anywhere. Besides, the rest of her sank just beyond here, in the direction you're looking."

"Yes, I know," the Dark One replied and then stood up with the older Jones' help when Liam reached out his hand for him to take. "Before all this began, I callously offered to restore your brother's hand that I took from him the day he vowed revenge against me. It was a small effort to help put our pasts behind us so we can both move on. I just realized that his hand is no longer one of the many things he still despises me for."

The older Jones looked at him strangely as he responded, "I'm not sure I understand."

Gold finally looked over at him and then continued, "As you must surely know, when Hook died, it was so he could rid the world of the darkness once and for all. And his sacrifice would have worked. It would have been enough, except… I lusted for the power the darkness gives me. And I couldn't just let Hook… my oldest enemy, be the hero everyone revered while leaving me with nothing. No power, no wife who I thought had left me again for the last time then, and no one else who cared whether or not I lived or died. So, I found a way to transfer the darkness back into me the moment your brother drew his last breath, making his sacrifice all for nothing."

"I knew Killian died trying to destroy the darkness," Liam answered coldly while he turned away to stare out over the waters. "I figured you became the Dark One again simply because you lusted for power. I didn't know it was also so you could have one final chance to double cross my brother."

"But none of that matters anymore, if you are truly looking to pay your penance for what you've done, as Killian's been trying to do since he's come here to Storybrooke," he said again after he stepped forward and turned until he was facing the shopkeeper head on. "Which I see you are trying to do too. I came out here to thank you for fighting with us to help save him. I also wanted to apologize for my role in our quarrel earlier this afternoon in your shop. I was angry someone else was trying to hurt Killian. And scared that he was going to die. But it was wrong of me to attack you, so… I'm sorry."

Rumple nodded and then replied, "And I'm sorry too. I didn't see it then, but I realize he was saving me too when he gave his life to try to destroy the darkness. I wish now I had allowed him to succeed. Honestly, I'm not sure how I can truly make amends to Hook for the deep pain I've caused him over the last two centuries we've hated each other for. But I hope this will be a start."

Before Liam could ask what he meant, Gold raised the plank of wood into the air in front of them with his power, then propelled it out over the ocean until it reached the site where the wreckage left behind of the pirate Captain's ship floated above the surface or sank far below to join them together. All of a sudden, the waters before them began to swirl around wildly as though a storm struck down and caused havoc over the ocean while the Dark One continued to discharge his power. When the waters parted and his magic faded, the Jolly Roger was once again whole and in its best condition it could be, just as it was under Hook's loving care for the last two hundred years.

The older Jones stared at the ship with awe and surprise as he stated, "I can't… I can't believe it. She's as good as new."

"The Jolly Roger is in the exact same condition as it was before it was destroyed," Gold responded confidently. "Your brother surely is the best Captain a ship like that one deserves if he can keep it so well after so long. How is he anyways? Has Hook awoken yet?"

"No," Liam answered sadly when he looked back at the man still standing behind him until he turned around to face him once again. "Not yet. But he will. He's stronger than he's ever believed himself to be. Emma is still with him. I'll be returning to him once I leave from here."

Rumple then asked again, "And then once he's awake and you've made sure he'll be alright, I take it you'll be returning to the Underworld to continue your duties?"

Liam nodded and then replied, "Yes. A couple of my men returned just before I came out here and told me that when Zagreus had gone down into the Underworld to gather his army, he had imprisoned Arthur and created chaos among the souls who remained behind. They didn't trust Hades' son, but now they no longer trust Arthur either. The King needs as much help as he can get to restore order."

"Well, when you go… perhaps it's best that you take this down with you," the Dark One uttered while he summoned Pandora's Box once again into his hands, then handed it over to the emissary. "Not only is Hades' son still trapped inside, but so are each of the souls I pulled into Excalibur. I expelled them from the sword and forced them inside this box to keep them trapped until they can be brought back to where they truly belong. That is your duty, Captain. Excalibur can only contain a number of souls for so long. And I didn't want to keep them trapped within my dagger along with all of the former Dark Ones before me; your brother's doing. These souls deserve better, despite their efforts to destroy all of us here."

"Thank you, Mr. Gold," the older Jones spoke again sincerely. "For everything."


	32. Chapter 32

Dead Reckoning

Chapter Thirty-Two

Meanwhile, at Granny's…

After he left the hospital, having spent some time with Emma, Killian, and his stepfather's older brother and uncle, Henry walked into the diner where most everyone who had joined in the fight earlier that evening had gathered together. When he entered inside, he immediately went to the booth in the corner by the front window that sat the largest amount of people, where his grandparents were sitting, along with Regina, her doppelganger, Robin, Tiger Lily, and Zelena. Violet and her father Sir Morgan were sitting in the booth nearest to them with Archie, Marco, and August, while all seven dwarfs sat at the bar as six of them asked Grumpy of Neverland and what the island was like.

"Henry… how's Hook?" David quietly asked as the teenager sat down across from him and Snow. "How are you and your mother doing?"

"Killian's… slowly recovering, but he hasn't woken up yet, which is making Mom very worried," he answered despondently. "Me too. But the striations are completely gone now, his hair is black again, and his body's mostly filled out again. You can't see his bones sticking out so much anymore, except for a little bit in his face and his shoulders. I couldn't stay any longer. I can't stand seeing him so frail. It's not Hook."

Snow laid her hand don over her grandson's and then she replied, "No, you're right. It isn't like Killian to look so weak and helpless like that. But he's going to be fine. Otherwise, we would have lost him already. Killian is a survivor. He promised Emma he would always be by her side and he's kept that promise."

The Princess looked around the room at everyone quietly talking amongst themselves as she continued, "Today's been tough for everyone, but we're all still here and we're stronger than we were before because we fought against the evils that came here together. Every time we fight those wanting to hurt us, so long as it's together, we grow stronger."

"Henry, I'm afraid I've got to go," Violet then stated quietly as she and her father stood up, while the Knight draped her coat around her shoulders. "My father and me, we have a lot to talk about tonight. But I hope you and I can get together some time tomorrow? I'm so sorry about Hook. I hope he'll be okay soon."

"He will be," Henry responded and quickly stood up as she was about to leave, while Morgan reached out to shake David's hand in gratitude, for making sure he was able to come home to his daughter. "Before you go, Violet… I just wanted to tell you that no matter where you and your father go, you and I will still find some way of keeping in touch. I mean, here we have technology. So, we can talk on the phone, we can Skype on the computers, write through emails… We can even write letters if that's how you prefer it. I understand now more than I did before why you and your father would prefer to live…"

Before the boy could finish, Sir Morgan cut him off as he interrupted, "We won't be going anywhere just yet. Perhaps someday after Violet graduates. We might travel and see what else this Land Without Magic has to offer us. We may even return to Connecticut someday. Or maybe it will be just me. But for now, we prefer to stay here amongst our family. That's what I've learned today, seeing how everyone has joined together to fight for those we love. I was blind before, until I was finally given a reason to see it for myself. Everyone here is one big family. After Violet's mother died, I never thought we could be whole again. So, thank you. All of you."

Henry leaned in and kissed the sixteen year old girl, then whispered, "Good night."

"I guess it's time we should all say good night then," David said while he watched as several others within the diner began to leave along with the Knight and his daughter, until he turned to Regina, or mainly her other self and their friend's own doppelganger from the Wish Realm. "Wait, will you and Robin both be staying here with us for awhile?"

"As much fun as it was joining together to fight against a God and a youth stealing brute from Neverland both seeking revenge, I'm going to have to say it's time Robin and I should be getting back home ourselves," the Queen answered as she turned her head to look into her fiancé's eyes. "We have a lot to do before…"

Regina understand why she stopped herself and immediately spoke up with sincerity saying, "I told you before it's all right to talk about. You both have a lot to do before your wedding. And you're right, you do. Again, I'm really happy for you. For you both."

Snow looked between the Queen and the archer as she exclaimed excitedly, "You two are getting married?! That's so amazing! Congratulations! Please… tell me that we're invited to come?"

"Of course you are," Regina's other self replied. "You all are our family too. We just don't fit into this world so easily as the rest of you do. And it's all right. Robin and I are happy in the Enchanted Forest."

"We wouldn't have found each other were it not for all of you," Robin added honestly. "I want to thank you. And Regina… I thought you should know that I had a moment with the Sheriff shortly after the fight earlier. He stood to fight with us and it allowed me to see for myself that he has changed for the better, just like you said. I apologized to him and now I want to apologize to you as well, for what I almost did to him that day and for being angry with you for stopping me from killing him. I also want to say thank you, for stopping me."

The Queen of Storybrooke smiled and then responded, "You're welcome. How about we head outside and I'll open up a portal with the wand again so you can get back."

As the doppelgangers walked out, Regina turned back to Henry, Snow, and David, then she stated, "I'll come by the hospital in the morning to see how Hook's doing. I assume you all will be there?"

"Of course," Charming answered while he took baby Neal from his wife's arms as they all began to walk out of the diner together before heading home. "We'll see you then."

"I'm coming with you, Mom," Henry quickly said as he hugged his grandparents, then rushed to catch up with his adopted mother, the former Evil Queen, and the archer from another realm.

The next morning…

Emma sat in the chair at her husband's bedside all night despite her parents' encouragement to go home so she could get some rest, even though they knew she would refuse to leave Killian's side. Henry had finally left not too long after everyone else had, as did Liam until the older Jones returned some time later to wait with the Savior with the hope that Killian would awaken soon. Finally, Killian did awaken feeling confused and disoriented. And when he slowly opened his eyes, the milky white discoloration that blinded him had vanished, leaving only his beautiful blue irises as he looked towards the sound of his true love's voice while she quietly uttered his name.

She smiled as he did when their eyes met, then she whispered, "There you are."

He let out a small laugh out of relief, then weakly replied, "I can… see you… again. You are a… a sight to be… behold, Swan."

"Not right now I'm not," she responded, gently rubbing her husband's arm up and down while she took his hand in her own, then reached up to wipe away the tears that began to fall again over her already tear-stained cheeks. "I must look terrible, but I haven't slept and my makeup is smudged. Not to mention I've been crying, so…"

"You al… always look beautiful to… to me," Killian answered sweetly and then finally saw Liam when he turned his head upon hearing someone else within the room. "Liam… You're still… here."

The older Jones sat down in the other chair across from Emma and laid his own hands over Killian's other arm where no hand connected to its end, then he replied, "Of course I'm still here. Where else would I be when my little brother needs me? At least now that I can be here with you. You had me really scared for you, brother. Emma too, not to mention everyone else who live in this beautiful town of yours. I understand now why it is you didn't wish to let go of your life here. Everyone loves you. This is the life you deserve."

The younger brother turned his eyes back to his wife again while he responded, "I hope so. What hap… happened to Bad… Bishop? And Hades' son? Did you stop them?"

"We did," the Savior answered steadfastly. "Bishop has been imprisoned, down in one of the cells here beneath the hospital where he'll remain. He's still a brute, but he's an old brute nearly fifty years old and he's not happy about it. And Zagreus and his army from the Underworld have all been trapped inside Pandora's Box thanks to Gold, who really stepped up and fought beside us all to help you yesterday."

"He's also restored the Jolly Roger," Liam continued. "After he gave me the box to bring back down with me into the Underworld so that we can return the souls to where they truly belong. I will then hand it over to Zeus, who can decide what to do with Hades' son. I've already thanked Mr. Gold for the both of us."

Killian looked up at the ceiling with regret, then replied quietly, "I ought to do… the same. I was wrong… to shut him down when… when he came to make… amends."

It was then that Gold and Belle entered the room as he knocked on the door and responded, "Actually, you weren't wrong. I was. Forgive our intrusion, but Belle and me, we wished to stop by to make sure you were well, since we heard of how close your wife came to losing you last night. Before you say anything… Captain, I realize now that a simple apology or any kind of gift such as your hand or even the Jolly Roger is enough to show you how sorry I am for all the years I've tormented you for. And not just that, but for allowing you to die in vain as well. I realize that all you need is to see that I've changed and not just over a matter of weeks or even months. You've become a good man ever since Emma's come into your life, even when I've made being so incredibly difficult. And it's taken years for me to see it. Time is what you need from me, to prove to you and to everyone else here I wish to become the man I should have been ever since I met Belle. So that's what I will give you. Your ship back is simply a gesture of goodwill."

"Thank you, Go… Gold," the pirate Captain answered sincerely. "Perhaps… someday you and… you and I might be able to… become friends… after all. I hope so."

"As do I," the Dark One replied honestly.

Two nights later…

Emma and Killian walked hand in hand along the beach with Liam, David, Snow, Tiger Lily, and Henry to say goodbye to the older Jones brother, whose time had come for him to return to the Underworld. Killian was not yet fully healed, but he was much more his old self than he'd been since his first attack by the enemy from his past.

As Liam waved his hand out over the ocean to reveal the Jewel of the Realm once again as he had done before, Killian released Emma's hand and quickly reached out to lay it on his brother's shoulder, then spoke despondently saying, "Thank you, brother. For coming here and risking your life… or rather your afterlife I suppose, to save me. I hoped you were in a better place after I watched you move on down in the Underworld. I'm glad you're finally happy again."

The older Jones laid his own hand over his brother's, then responded, "I am. And I owe my happiness to you, Killian. Were it not for you, I would never have been able to forgive myself for all I did to you when I was still alive, or for what I did to my men. By the way, I will see what I can do about finding our father down there like you asked me to. I'll let him know you've become the man you truly wanted to be, and I'll let him know that our younger brother Liam has too found peace aboard the Nautilus with Captain Nemo. I am so proud of you for all you've accomplished. I meant what I said down there. You've become a true hero in a way I never could. But I'm trying to get there."

"You're a hero to me," the younger brother answered sincerely.

"And to me," Emma added. "To all of us. Thank you, Liam."

Liam took Emma's hand to kiss the top of it and bowed to her, then turned to David as he reached out to shake his, as well as Snow's, Henry's, then the Indian Fairy's as well. He looked out towards his own ship and started towards it until he suddenly turned back to Killian again and pulled his brother into his arms to embrace him, while Killian embraced him back.

Everyone finally watched as Liam returned to his ship until the Jewel of the Realm vanished before their eyes, then Killian turned to Tiger Lily as he stated, "I owe you gratitude as well. For coming all the way here from Neverland for me. I understand I'm alive now a lot thanks to what you did. So, thank you."

She smiled as she replied, "You took a moment to help free me from the Lost Boys that night before you followed your Savior back through her portal and showed me you aren't that same selfish pirate I thought you were a long time ago, Hook. I heard you were in trouble and I felt it was only right that I help you in return. Besides, your family got me off that island. I knew I wouldn't survive much longer if I stayed. Ever since I lost my people in Neverland because of Pan, it's been lonely."

"Well, you won't be lonely here," Snow responded happily as she wrapped her arm around her husband while continuing to hold their son in her other arm. "You are more than welcome here."

"I appreciate that, truly," the Indian Princess answered and then looked out upon the oceans. "However, Blue restored my wings and now it's my duty to go out into the many worlds out there in order to find my charges and be their Fairy Godmother again. Even though I failed the Black Fairy, I've finally made peace with my mistakes because I was able to help Killian return home to his Savior, and helped her to be able to win the final battle in the little way that I could. I do hope to one day see you all again."

David reached out to take her hand as he replied, "You'll always be welcome here. Thank you, Tiger Lily. For saving my life and our friends' lives as well back in Neverland. And here too."

Killian pulled her into a hug as he spoke again saying, "Aye. Thank you, Tiger Lily. I just wish there was something more I could give to repay you."

"There's no need, Captain," she responded sincerely and then transformed herself back into her fairy form, the first time doing so since she gave up her wings so long ago. "You already have. Stay well. Goodbye."

"I really like her," Snow stated as they watched the fairy fly away, then she and her husband turned back to their daughter and son-in-law.

Henry saw the looks given between them and quickly uttered, "I'm going to meet with Violet. I'll see you guys later!"

As the teenager ran off, David reached out to gently pat Killian's arm and said, "We'll leave the two of you alone as well. But we'll see you in a little while at our home for dinner?"

"Yes of course," Emma answered as she wrapped her arms around Killian again. "We would like to spend some time alone to talk, now that all of the visitors are gone and things are about as back to normal as they'll ever be. But we'll be there. Love you."

"We love you both too," Snow replied, then together she and David walked away with their son.

Emma finally turned back to her husband without pulling away from him as he looked down into her eyes as well, then she whispered, "I love you, Killian. I don't know if you heard any of what I said to you while you were in the hospital, but…"

Killian cut her off as he responded, "I heard you singing. Your song inside of you and ours. And I'm proud I've won your heart. I knew I would."

"You did hear me," she exclaimed, gently tracing her fingers along the side of his face.

"Aye," her husband spoke again, then kissed her as she kissed him. "I would hear you speaking to me no matter the circumstances. That's true love. And I do love you. As I always will."

 _Emma leaned forward to kiss him again while her mind wandered back to the moment she knew she truly loved him too as she saw herself with Killian inside Gold's cabin within the woods, as she_ _looked over at the pirate she had grown fond of in confusion while he stepped forward with his back to her and asked nervously, "Hook, what's wrong? You gave Ursula everything she wanted."_

 _He turned his head to the side, but didn't completely turn around to face her until part way through as he answered broodingly, "But I almost didn't, love. I was so desperate to figure out what the Crocodile was up to, I almost became the man I used to be. You have no idea how easy it is to fall back into the darkness."_

 _"Whatever mistakes you made with Ursula, you fixed," she replied as she moved close to him and looked into his eyes and he into hers._

 _"Aye, but it's a stark reminder of something," he continued, his fear becoming darker the more he spoke as he continued to look at her._

 _Still confused as to what he was trying to say, she simply asked, "What?"_

 _He responded despondently, "With all this talk of authors and the book, we've never discussed one fact... I was a villain."_

 _"But you're not anymore," the Savior alleviated his fear as she finally understood what had him so worried._

 _"Neither is Regina, but she still lost her happy ending," he continued as she lowered her head trying to let his words sink in. "If we're to believe the rules of the book, then it's only a matter of time before I lose mine."_

 _Upon his last words, she looked up at him in surprise as she asked again, "Wait, if you're afraid of losing your happy ending, that means you found it. What is it?"_

 _Killian looked into her eyes again with sadness as he questioned her softly, "Don't you know, Emma? It's you."_

 _The Savior couldn't help, but stare at the man standing before her in shock over his fearful confession and undeniable proclamation of love. While she had already come to care for him so deeply before this moment, Emma realized then that she truly did love him back as he loved her long before now, even if she didn't have the courage to admit the truth of her feelings to him just yet._

 _She slowly moved in closer to him while he stood in place, not wanting to push her into anything she might not be comfortable with, then lowered her eyes to his lips as she longed to kiss him. Their foreheads met as Emma and Killian both closed their eyes, then fell into a kiss that was tender and deep as a single tear fell down her cheek._

When her thoughts returned to the present, she was still kissing the man who was her husband. Emma finally pulled back and looked up into his eyes again, but this time she didn't say a word while she continued to caress his cheek. Nor did he say a word to her. They only continued to hold one another close, trying not to think about how close they had once again become to losing all they've fought so hard for. Instead, they silently looked out over the ocean as the sun slowly set on the horizon, then together they walked back towards town where Emma parked her yellow bug outside of the harbor. As they were about to pull away from the curb and drive towards the Charmings' home now outside of town, Killian leaned over to kiss Emma once more and she happily kissed him again in return.

The End


	33. Thank You

Thank you to all of those who have read and have written reviews for my story! They are much appreciated. I'm honored to have you all for fans and I hope to hear from you all again in the future, should you choose to read and enjoy more of my work. Best of wishes to you all!

Sincerely,

Genevieve Kelly


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